Vocaloid: Live Out Your Dreams
by EliseArainai
Summary: My name is Miku Hatsune. My dream is to become a famous singer. When my friends and I finally get a chance to pursue our dream, we jump at it right away! Read about our adventures (and misadventures), review, and enjoy! MikuxKaito, eventual RinxLen and various pairings. Rating subject to change. Cover by Hellen-Nyan of deviantArt.
1. Track 1 - Melt

**Hey guys! I've been wanting to write a Vocaloid fanfic for a while, so I thought I'd give it a shot! (mostly cuz I've had them on the brain lately…) Let me know what you think! ^^**

**Rin and Len: In keeping with our Japanese origins, honorifics will be used in the dialogue. Hope you like the story!**

**Miku: I hope you like it, too~!**

**Luka: Miku-san, you're supposed to narrate, remember?**

**Miku: Oh, right! Here I go!**

**P.S. I do not own Vocaloid.**

_The bright lights shining down on me… the cheers roaring throughout the concert hall… I still can't believe I'm here, performing in front of all these people!_

"_Thank you, everyone!" I call out to my audience, receiving more cheers in response. "My next song is for all of you, my fans!"_

"_Hey, you're not thinking of singing this one by yourself, are you?" a deep, masculine voice asks. I look around for the source until a spotlight shines next to me. Standing there is a tall, blue-haired man wearing a white and blue coat and a light blue scarf. _

_Stunned, I can only whisper, "K-Kaito-sama…?"_

_Smiling, he holds out his hand to me. "Miku-chan, may I sing with you?"_

_I hesitate to answer at first, but I slowly reach out to take his hand. "Yes!"_

"_Miku-chan…" Gently tugging me toward him, Kaito embraces me in front of the audience. _

_Tears of joy fall down my cheeks. "Kaito-sama!" I cry, returning his embrace._

"_Miku-chan… Miku-chan!"_

...

"Miku-chan, wake up!"

My eyes snapped open, and it didn't take me long to realize that the person I was hugging wasn't the person from my dream. Shoving him away, I shouted, "Nii-chan! You spoiled my beautiful dream!"

Mikuo, my older brother, caught himself on my dresser and shot me an annoyed glare before replying. "You have to get up, anyway. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Hm?" Glancing at my alarm clock, I saw that the time was exactly 8:00… thirty minutes after my alarm was supposed to go off! "Oh no, I'm gonna be late!" I cried as I leapt out of bed and rushed to get ready for school.

"You didn't stay up late trying to write that song, did you?" Mikuo asked casually.

I flinched at the question, as the answer was pretty obvious. I was having a bad case of writer's block, and I was desperate to try to write a new song! Don't worry, I'll explain in a minute.

Sighing, Mikuo shook his head. "I knew it. Can't you just sing another song?"

"That's my back-up plan," I replied as I pulled my long teal hair back into its usual pigtails. Grabbing my schoolbag, along with a small backpack and my songbook, I ran out the door ahead of my brother. "Hurry up, nii-chan!"

"Relax, my bike is already up front," Mikuo said as he followed me. Getting on his bike, he waited until I was standing on the pegs of his back wheel before pedaling down the street.

*Phew!* Okay, now I can give you a proper introduction. My name is Miku Hatsune. I'm sixteen years old, and my favorite food is leeks. My dream is to become a famous singer. I even write my own songs, as well as songs for some of my friends who have the same dream. The only thing is, I've been having writer's block for the past week, and that's a big problem because today after school there's gonna be an audition to find the next Vocaloid!

What's a Vocaloid, you ask? I guess the best way to describe them is they're extremely talented singers whose songs reach deep into the hearts of their fans. There are two Vocaloids in Japan: Meiko Sakine and Kaito Shion. Incidently, Kaito was the man in my dream, and, well… I have a completely hopeless crush on him. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, I've heard of crazier fans.

My friends and I all look up to the Vocaloids, as they inspired us to create music of our own. And now that Crypton Records was holding an audition, who were we to miss this chance? That's why I brought a change of clothes in that backpack, because there was no way I was auditioning in my school uniform! My plan was to sing a new song that not even my friends had heard, but unless my writer's block goes away before the audition, I would have to resort to singing something else.

As Mikuo and I were about to pass the music store, I heard Kaito's "Blue Lotus" playing over the speaker outside. "Nii-chan, slow down!"

"No way, we're gonna be late enough as it is," Mikuo said firmly, speeding right past the store much to my dismay. In case it wasn't obvious, my brother isn't much of a Vocaloid fan, although I think he secretly likes Meiko.

As we were about to round a corner, a cat suddenly ran into our path. "What the hell?!" Mikuo cried out as he swerved sharply to the right. I barely heard my brother's voice shout my name as I fell off the pegs with a yelp and hit the sidewalk.

The wind was knocked right out of me, and it took me a few seconds to recover. "…you alright?" I heard a voice… Nii-chan? No, it was different. "Hey, are you alright?" It was then I saw an outstretched hand, as well as the young man attached to it.

Blinking a few times, I accepted the hand and allowed myself to be pulled up. "I-I'm okay… I think," I stammered, still a little shaken up from the fall.

Someone else grabbed my arm, and I turned to see Mikuo. "Miku-chan, thank god you're not hurt!" he exclaimed. "Thank you so much, onii-san!" he said, bowing his head to the other boy.

"She's not completely unscathed," the boy replied as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a few band-aids, which he applied to some scrapes on my hands and knees. While he was doing that, I couldn't help looking him over. He had short blue hair and blue eyes behind a pair of glasses. His outfit consisted of a white sweater vest with a very light blue dress shirt underneath, a blue tie, dark blue pants and brown loafers. He appeared to be a high school student, but something about him seemed very familiar.

"Thank you!" I blurted out when he was finished, my face heating up as I bowed. He was so beautiful, I thought I would melt right there!

"You're welcome, I'm just glad you weren't seriously hurt," the older boy said with a smile. "Those band-aids are only temporary, though. You should get those scrapes treated properly." Then he turned to Mikuo. "You might wanna try slowing down a bit so this doesn't happen again, okay?"

"Got it," Mikuo answered with a nod, a little embarrassed that such an accident even happened.

Flashing another smile, the older boy turned and started walking down the street. "Be careful on your way to school!" he called back as he waved to us.

I waved after him until he disappeared into the crowd. It only then occurred to me that I never got his name. Too bad, he was gorgeous even with glasses.

Luckily for us, we were able to get to school without another incident and Mikuo escorted me straight to the infirmary before heading to his class. Both my hands and knees were bandaged, and I missed homeroom period. Not exactly the best start to the day.

During class, I tried to write the new song, but to no avail. It was so frustrating, because I already had the music composed and a general idea of what to write about, but nothing was coming to mind except a bunch of "las" at the beginning.

Finally, lunch time came around and I headed for my usual spot, where I always ate with my friends. It was right by the chain-link fence that separated the middle school and high school. An older girl with long pink hair and green eyes was already sitting by the fence. "Hi, Luka nee-chan!" I called, waving at her as I walked up.

Luka looked up and smiled. "Hello, Miku-san," she greeted before noticing my bandages. "What happened?" she asked with a concerned expression.

"My baka of a brother lost control of the bike and I fell off," I answered sheepishly before sitting down. "It's just a few scrapes, nothing serious."

The older girl breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear." Luka Megurine is a beautiful third-year student and my childhood friend. She's very polite and a little shy, but she enjoys singing just as much as I do. Out of our group of four friends, she is the best dancer, so I thought she had a really good chance at the audition.

Suddenly, the fence started rattling, and both Luka and I looked to the left just as someone dropped down a ways away. Another person dropped down, and they both started walking towards us. I grinned when I recognized them as Rin and Len Kagamine. "I don't know how you get away with climbing the fence all the time."

"Lots of practice!" the two answered simultaneously. Rin and Len are mischievous blonde-haired twins, Rin a girl and Len a boy, and second-year students at the middle school next door. Like me and Luka, they want to be singers, and they work well as solo acts or as a duet.

Rin noticed my bandages and knelt down to take a look. "Omigosh, what happened?! You're all beat up!"

"I'm not beat up, nii-chan and I were in an accident," I explained.

"Whoa. Think you're still up for the audition?" Len asked.

"Guys, I'll be fine!" I told them, if only to stop their worrying. "This beautiful boy helped me."

"You're kidding!" Rin exclaimed, her face now inches away from mine. "Details! I want details!"

She was quickly yanked back by her brother. "Honestly, there is such a thing as personal space, Rin," Len grumbled. "So how's that new song coming, Miku-nee?"

I flinched again before letting out a nervous laugh, and that pretty much told the whole story. "You still have writer's block?" Luka asked. "Just use an old song, Miku-san."

"Yeah, you'll do great either way!" Rin agreed with a nod. "Len, you remembered the CDs, right? They've got all our music on them."

Letting out a light scoff, Len pulled four CD cases out of his bag. "Of course I remembered! You really think I would forget them?" Another great thing about the twins is that they have a recording studio at their house, so we can compose the music for our songs there. I was suddenly glad that I wasn't the one who had to bring the music today, since the CDs could've been broken from the fall.

As we were chatting and eating lunch, I suddenly got an idea. "Hey guys, let's all make a promise right here, okay?"

"What kind of promise?" the twins piped up.

"If one of us passes the audition and becomes a Vocaloid, the rest of us have to give that person our full support, no exceptions," I told them before sticking my hand out. "What do you say?"

Rin and Len looked at each other before Rin spoke up. "Sounds reasonable to me," she said as she and Len placed their hands on top of mine. "We're in!"

"Alright, I'll support whoever passes," Luka said with a smile as she added her hand to the center.

"It's a promise!" all four of us declared before throwing our hands in the air.

After school, I was about to head to the locker room to get changed, but I was stopped by my sensei. It turned out that I had clean-up duty today, and I had completely forgotten! What were the odds?! I texted my friends and told them I would be running late and to just go ahead without me.

When I was finally finished, I went into the locker room to change into my other outfit: a cute white top with a pink skirt and white sandals, along with flower barrettes in my hair. Mikuo was in the student council, so I couldn't mooch a ride off of him. At least I knew where Crypton Records was, or I would've been in big trouble. I just sighed and started walking to the bus station.

After a few minutes, I felt a raindrop hit my nose. I looked up to see dark clouds in the sky. "Ah! It's raining?!" I cried as more drops started falling, and I quickly ran under a store awning to avoid getting wet. "The weather forecast said it was supposed to be sunny all day," I grumbled as I opened my schoolbag to get my umbrella. Unfortunately, it wasn't inside. I had been in such a hurry that morning that I had forgotten to grab it!

Unable to handle it anymore, I just crouched down and started crying. Today had been one of the worst days of my life. First the writer's block, then I slept past the alarm, then there was the bike accident, I was stuck with clean-up duty, and now it was raining and I had no umbrella! At this point, who cared about the stupid audition? I just wanted to go home.

"Hey, what's wrong?" a voice asked, and I looked up with teary eyes. It was the blue-haired boy from that morning, standing over me with an umbrella in his hand. "Why are you crying?" he asked as he crouched down next to me and handed me a handkerchief.

Sniffling and wiping my eyes with the handkerchief, I cried, "Onii-san… Everything's going wrong today… why did it have to be today?! I was supposed to go to the audition with my friends… and now I'm huddled under here with no umbrella and the bus to the studio leaves in fifteen minutes-!"

The older boy cut me off by patting my head. "Everyone has bad luck every once in a while," he said with a kind smile. "The trick is dealing with your frustration in a calm manner. Here, stand up." I did as I was told and stood up with him. "Now take a deep breath, and let it out slowly." Following his example, I breathed deeply before exhaling. I did this a few times until he spoke again. "Feel any better?"

"Uh-huh," I responded with a nod. "Thanks, onii-san. That's the second time you've helped me."

"Well, maybe I can help you a third time by walking you to the station," he said as he moved his umbrella over my head. "You have no umbrella, so we'll share mine, okay?"

I couldn't believe it. I was about to share an umbrella with this beautiful boy! I guessed my luck was improving. "O-Okay!" I stammered, feeling my face heat up again and my heartbeat speed up.

The older boy laughed softly. "You're kinda cute when you blush," he teased, and I instinctively covered my cheeks. I really liked his laugh, and I silently wondered how many girls had fallen for that laugh.

As we walked, we passed the music store again. This time, one of my favorite Meiko songs was playing. "Ooh, 'Silent Snow!' I love this song!" I exclaimed, to the amusement of the boy next to me.

"You're a Vocaloid fan?" he asked curiously.

"Are you kidding? I love the Vocaloids!" I responded. I always get excited when talking about the Vocaloids. "They were the ones who inspired me to become a singer!"

"Oh yeah, you said something about an audition," the older boy mentioned. "Is it the one at Crypton Records?" I nodded quickly. "You must be pretty good, then."

"Well, that's what my friends say," I said, looking off to the side sheepishly. "Honestly, I think Luka nee-chan has a bigger chance at passing, but that's not gonna stop me from trying!"

"Ha ha, that's the spirit!" the boy said with a grin. "Hey, can you sing a little bit for me?"

I nodded and took a deep breath before singing the intro of my song "World Is Mine."

_Sekai de ichiban ohime-sama (The number one princess in the world)_

_Sou iu atsukai kokoroete yo ne (Know how to treat me that way, okay?)_

"Wow, your voice is so cute!" the older boy complimented. "The song doesn't ring a bell, though."

"Oh, I wrote it," I said simply. "It's called 'World Is Mine,' and it's about a girl who just wants her boyfriend to treat her like a princess."

"I'd like to hear the whole song sometime," he said as we were approaching the bus stop. Then he suddenly stopped and reached for his bag. "Here, can you hold this for a second?"

"Sure," I said, taking the umbrella from his hand, blushing as our fingers brushed against each other. I watched as he pulled out a notebook and turned to a blank page.

"Here, sign this for me?" he asked, holding out the notebook and a pen. "When you pass that audition, I can claim I knew you way back when."

Talk about flattery! He sounded so confident in me, and he was asking for my autograph?! "I-I'd love to!" I answered, signing the paper before returning the book and pen to him.

"Thanks… Miku Hatsune-san," the boy said, adjusting his glasses and checking my name before putting the notebook back in his bag and taking the umbrella from me. The next time he looked up, his eyes widened and he suddenly grabbed my hand, running down the street. "Uh-oh! Run!"

I could feel my whole face turn red as the blue-haired boy led me to the station, where the bus had already arrived. No wonder he was in a rush! Regardless, his hand was so warm… I had never felt anything like it.

We arrived at the station just in time, and he stopped the door from closing. "Wait! You've got one more," he said, stepping aside so I could step onto the bus. "Well, this is it. Good luck, Hatsune-san!" And with that, he let go of my hand and the bus door closed.

As the bus left, I looked out the window and saw that gorgeous boy waving to me before we went around a corner and he disappeared from view. I still didn't get his name, but did it really matter? He really helped me, and I silently hoped that we would meet again. I could still feel the warmth of his hand on mine. I truly thought I would melt when I was around him.

Wait a minute… melt… "That's it!" I shouted, not caring how many stares I was getting. I finally had an idea for my song, and there was still time to write it!

As I reached into my schoolbag to get my songbook, I realized that I still had the boy's handkerchief. I had completely forgotten to give it back! It was then I noticed some initials embroidered onto the fabric. They were English letters, "K.S."

…

I watched as the bus left the station, waving to the energetic younger girl until she was gone. She still had my handkerchief, but it was no big deal, I had plenty more.

After a few minutes, I removed my glasses and pulled a cellphone out of my pocket. Dialing a number, I put the phone up to my ear and waited for someone to pick up. "Hey, it's Kaito," I said when I got an answer. "Listen, at today's audition, could you keep an eye out for a girl named Miku Hatsune?"

**Next time…**

**Miku: Thanks to onii-san, I finished my song and made it to the audition!**

**Len: Eh?! I thought Mikuo-nii had student council stuff going on?  
**

**Miku: No Len-kun, the boy I mentioned earlier!**

**Rin: Oh, you met him again? Please tell me you got his name!**

**Luka: All of a sudden, I'm feeling kind of nervous… Will everything be alright?**

**Next time: Track 2 – Meltdown**


	2. Track 2 - Meltdown

**Miku: Yay! Chapter two is up!**

**Rin: Maybe now we'll find out who your mystery boy is, huh Miku-nee?**

**Len: Who knows? Let's just get started already!**

**Luka: *bows* Please enjoy the story.**

**P.S. I do not own Vocaloid.**

My eyes grew wide with excitement as the bus reached the stop near Crypton Records. I still couldn't believe I was actually there! Hopping off the bus, I walked down the street until I reached the studio. _Vocaloid audition, here I come!_ I thought with a grin as I opened the door.

Glancing around the lobby, I could see tons of people. Some were warming up their voices, others were studying or working while waiting, but all were hoping to pass. A voice called out a number, and I saw someone go through a door. I gulped, only now realizing that this was gonna take a while.

I walked up to the desk and checked in before scanning the room for my friends. "Miku-nee, you made it!" two voices shouted before I was tackle-hugged by the Kagamine twins.

"Yeah, but it was a close one!" I laughed as they backed off, and I was a little startled by their outfits. Rin was wearing a black and white dress with yellow trim, black thigh-high stockings with a yellow stripe down the center of each one, and yellow heeled shoes. Her hair was done up in short pigtails with a black and white ribbon on top of her head. Len was wearing a sleeveless, form-fitting black top with yellow trim which showed off his chest, short black shorts, black leg warmers and arm warmers, black shoes, a black choker and two white belts. Unlike his sister, his hair was unchanged, still pulled back in a small ponytail with his bangs left wild and untamed.

Before I could say anything, Len piped up, "Just for the record, this outfit wasn't my idea. Mom went a little overboard again." I almost forgot that their mom liked making their outfits. I guess when they told her about the audition, she tried to make them look like performers.

"Oh come on, you look great!" Rin said with a wave of her hand. "I personally like my outfit. What do you think, Miku-nee?" she asked as she spun in a circle.

"You look adorable, Rin-chan!" I commented before turning to Len. "And Len-kun, I think you look very mature!"

Blushing, Len looked off to the side and scratched the back of his head. "R-Really? Thanks…"

"Oh good, you're here," a third voice said and I turned to see Luka wearing a white summer dress and black boots. She had placed a crown of flowers on her head, which I thought added to her beauty.

"Whoa! Luka nee-chan, you look beautiful!" I gushed, gazing at her outfit.

"Thank you. You look really cute," Luka replied, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "Come on, we're sitting over here." She led us over to a small table where we sat down and I pulled out my songbook and a pencil.

Peeking over, Rin smiled when she saw lyrics on the page. "Hey, those are new! So you were able to write the song after all?"

I smiled and nodded, feeling very proud of myself. "Yep, and it was all thanks to onii-san!"

"Your brother?" Len asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No no, the boy I mentioned at lunch," I answered.

"The beautiful one?" Rin asked. "Did you see him again?!"

"Yeah, he gave me his handkerchief and walked me to the bus stop," I told them. "We even shared an umbrella!"

"Aww, how cute!" Luka said with a sweet smile. "I'm happy for you, Miku-san."

"So did you get his name?" Rin asked, and was surprised when I shook my head. "No?! How are you gonna find him again?!"

"W-Well, there are initials on the handkerchief," I said as I pulled it out of my skirt pocket.

Len, who had mostly tuned out our girl talk, was surprisingly the first one to look at the initials. "K.S., huh? Do you know how many names start with those letters in Tokyo? Finding him could take forever."

"You're not much of a romantic, are you Len-kun?" I pouted, folding my arms. Although deep down, he was right: who knew if I would ever see him again? _No, I have to think positive! It's what onii-san would want,_ I thought.

Luka let out a soft chuckle. "Sometimes, it's hard to tell who's older in this group."

"Hey!" the rest of us protested.

After about fifteen minutes, someone called, "Number 67, number 67!"

"Oh, that's me!" Rin piped up when she checked the number assigned to her.

"Break a leg, Rin!" Len encouraged, giving his sister a thumbs-up. Luka and I also wished her luck before the 14-year-old left.

I let out a sigh when Rin was gone. "I wish we could watch her audition, just to see how she's doing."

"Oh, there's a way," a voice piped up behind us. We all turned to see an older girl with short green hair and a pair of pink goggles on top of her head. She flashed a smile at us before turning her laptop toward us and speaking again. "Here, my laptop is connected to the security cameras all over the building, so I can check any room I want!" To demonstrate, she tapped a key a few times, and the images on the screen switched.

"Cool!" I exclaimed as Len, Luka and I rushed over to look.

"Wait a minute," Luka said, looking at the girl. "Um, you didn't hack into the cameras, did you?"

The green-haired girl laughed before answering. "No, my dad's head of security here, so he allows me access to the camera feeds… provided I don't show them to anyone suspicious. So don't tell anyone I'm showing you this, okay?" she said with a wink. "Oh, I'm Gumi, by the way. Gumi Megpoid."

"I'm Miku Hatsune," I replied before gesturing to the others. "This is Len Kagamine and Luka Megurine."

"The girl who just left is my sister Rin," Len added.

"Nice to meet you all," Gumi said before tapping a few keys. Within seconds, a new feed flashed onto the laptop screen. "Here we go. They're holding the auditions in the studio where they film music videos. Pretty good spot, if you ask me."

"Wow, check out all that equipment!" Len marveled, his eyes glued to the screen. "Wish we had a room like that at home."

We saw Rin step in front of a green screen and turn around to face the three judges. Luka's eyes widened when she recognized one of the judges. "Miku-san, Len-kun, that's Haku Yowase!"

"_The _Haku Yowase?!" both Len and I exclaimed in surprise. Haku was one of the most famous dance coordinators in Japan, and is known for teaching Meiko and Kaito their dance routines. Being a dancer herself, Luka really looks up to her.

I placed a hand on Luka's shoulder. "She'll be alright, and so will you."

Then we heard voices coming from the laptop, and we redirected our attention. "Which track do you want?"

"Uh, track 2 please," Rin answered.

"Whoops, forgot about the audio," Gumi muttered as she dug into her backpack and pulled out a set of headphones with a mike attached. "The mike's turned off, but you should be able to hear her," she said, plugging the headphones in and turning up the volume so all three of us would be able to hear. "Lucky for us these cameras also pick up sound, huh?"

Finally, we all grew quiet as we heard the music start. I recognized it as "Meltdown," a song I had written for Rin a couple months ago.

_machiakari hanayaka (The town is filled with brilliant light)_

_EETERU masui no tsumetasa (The chill of anesthetic ether)_

_nemurenai gozen niji (2 AM, and I can't sleep)_

_subete ga kyuusoku ni kawaru (Everything is changing so fast)_

_OIRU kire no RAITAA (The lighter's out of oil)_

_yaketsuku you na inonaka (The pit of my stomach is on fire)_

_subete ga sou uso nara (If everything is such a lie)_

_hontou ni yokatta noni ne (Then it really would be better)_

_kimi no kubi wo shimeru yume wo mita (I dreamed of wrapping my hands 'round your neck)_

_hikari no afureru hirusagari (On an early afternoon, overflowing with light)_

_kimi no hosoi nodo ga haneru no wo (I dreamed, with eyes full of tears)_

_nakidashisouna me de miteita (of cutting off your voice)_

_kakuyuugouro nisa (I want to dive into)_

_tobikonde mitai to omou (a nuclear reactor)_

_massao na hikari tsutsumarete kirei (Surrounded by beautiful blue light)_

_kakuyuugouro nisa (If I dive into)_

_tobikonde mitara soshitara (the nuclear reactor)_

_subete ga yurusareru youna kigashite (then I can let it all go)_

Rin continued singing until the song was over, and a minute later, the judges dismissed her. She came back to us before letting out a huge sigh of relief. "*Phew!* Aw man, that was nerve-wracking!"

"You did great!" Len said, patting his twin's shoulder.

"Yeah, you were awesome Rin-chan!" I agreed. "Oh, this is Gumi Megpoid. Her dad's head of security at Crypton Records." Gumi bowed as I introduced her.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Rin marveled, her eyes sparkling. "I'll be right back, I need a drink." And just like that, she took off toward the vending machine in the corner.

"Number 68! Number 68!"

Len, Luka and I checked our numbers. "Welp, that's my cue," Len said as he hopped out of his seat, took a deep breath and then left the table.

"Good luck, Len-kun!" I called after him.

Luka suddenly tapped my shoulder. "Miku-san, I know it's not my turn yet, but… I'm suddenly a little nervous. Maybe it's because Yowase-san is in there, but I don't know if I can do this."

"That's completely natural," Gumi piped up. "How much you wanna bet the twins were also nervous?"

"She's right, Luka nee-chan," I agreed. "I think everyone here is real nervous, even if they're trying not to show it." Then I remembered what the older boy had told me. "Tell you what: before you go on, take a deep breath and let it out slowly. It'll calm your nerves a bit, okay?"

Luka smiled at the advice. "Thank you, Miku-san."

Rin came back with a water bottle. "Hey, what'd I miss?"

"Your brother's about to go on," Gumi said, pointing at the screen to show that Len was already in position in front of the judges. The music started, and he launched into "Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder."

_migikata ni murasaki choucho (A purple butterfly on your right shoulder)_

_kisu wo shita kono heya no sumi de (We kissed in the corner of the room)_

_setsunai to iu kanjou wo shiru (I learned what it's like to have a heartrending feeling)_

_hibiku piano fukyou waon (Sounds of a piano rebounded, dissonance in my head)_

_warui yume ni unasareta watashi wo hayaku okoshite (I'm having a nightmare, wake me up, hurry!)_

_donna koto demo hajimari wa sasai na koto deshou? (A beginning is always trivial, right?)_

_doko ga ii ka nante kikarete mo komaru kirei na (Don't ask me where I feel good, I can't give you an answer)_

_yoru ni modowasareta mama yukue fumei dakara (A beautiful night deluded me, and I've lost my way)_

_nagai matsuge mikkadzuki airain (Make my eyelashes longer, create a crescent shape above the lash lines)_

_mabuta ni nosete hikaru rippu (Wear a glossed lip!)_

_migikata ni murasaki choucho (A purple butterfly on your right shoulder)_

_kisu wo shita kono heya no sumi de (We kissed in the corner of the room)_

_setsunai to iu kanjou wo shiru (I learned what it's like to have a heartrending feeling)_

_hibiku piano fukyou waon (Sounds of a piano rebounded, dissonance in my head)_

"Whoa, that was good!" Gumi commented, impressed by Len's performance. Then she turned to Rin. "You're both amazing! I think you have a real shot at this."

"Thanks!" Rin said, a grin plastered on her face. The minute Len came back, he got tackle-hugged by his sister. "Len, you were awesome!"

"Ah! Thanks Rin, now get off!" Len exclaimed, and Rin sheepishly let go. "Luka-nee, I think you're gonna be next."

Gulping, Luka looked at her number, 69. Sure enough, the next number called was hers. "Uh-oh…"

"Go for it, Luka nee-chan! Remember, deep breath," I said, doing my best to encourage my friend. Luka smiled, nodded and then she walked away.

Sighing, Gumi adjusted her sitting position. "You know, she's making me nervous too."

"Yeah, she's kinda shy," Len explained. "She's especially bashful around boys."

"She's not bashful around you," Rin corrected.

"Yes, but we grew up together," Len argued. "She's used to me."

I looked at the laptop screen and silently prayed that Luka would do well. She would be performing in front of one of her idols, so this was harder on her than it was on the rest of us. _You can do it, Luka nee-chan. Don't give up!_

I practically breathed a sigh of relief when the older girl started singing "Just Be Friends." Maybe I didn't have to worry so much after all.

_Just be friends All we gotta do _

_Just be friends It's time to say goodbye _

_Just be friends All we gotta do _

_Just be friends Just be friends..._

_ukandanda kinou no asa hayaku ni (I remembered early yesterday morning)_

_wareta GURASU kakiatsumeru you na (Why do I feel as if I'm gathering piece of broken glass?)_

_kore wa ittai nan darou kitta yubi kara shitataru shizuku (Blood drips from my cut fingers)_

_bokura wa konna koto shitakatta no kana (I wonder if we wanted to do these kinds of things)_

_wakatteta yo kokoro no oku soko de wa (I already knew deep inside my heart)_

_motto mo tsurai sentaku ga BESUTO (That the most painful choice would be the best)_

_sore wo kobamu jiko ai to kekkajika touchaku no kurikaeshi (My self-love refuses it and as a result, self-contradiction repeats)_

_boku wa itsu ni nareba ieru no kana (I wonder when we can talk)_

_yuruyaka ni kuchiteyuku kono sekai de (In this slowly decaying world)_

_agaku boku no yuiitsu no katsuro (A path for my struggling self)_

_iroaseta kimi no hohoemi kizande (I carve in your colorless smile)_

_sen wo nuita (I pulled off the plug)_

_koe wo karashite sakenda (I shouted until my voice was dry)_

_hankyou zankyou munashiku hibiku (The echo reverberates in the empty air)_

_hazusareta kusari no sono saki wa (Although there was nothing left)_

_nani hitotsu nokotte ya shinai kedo (After the chains were removed)_

_futari wo kasaneteta guuzen (Fate that allowed us to meet)_

_anten dansen hakanaku chiji ni (The darkness interrupts countless and relentless time)_

_shosen konna mono sa tsubuyaita ("So this is how it is..." I murmured)_

_kareta hoho ni tsutau dareka no namida (Somebody's tears flow down dried cheeks)_

When Luka returned, she was wiping sweat from her brow, but she also had a huge smile on her face. "I-I did it!"

"Way to go!" the twins piped up as they rushed over to the pink-haired girl.

"See? I knew you could do it!" I said, flashing her a "V" sign.

In response, Luka also made a "V". "Miku-san, thank you for the advice," she said. She then glanced over at the woman calling out numbers. "You came late, so I don't think they'll call you for a while."

I checked my number and sure enough, it was 89. "Twenty more people?!" I shouted, not noticing the stares I was getting until after the fact. "Uh, heh heh… sorry," I said sheepishly, and then everyone else just went back to business.

Laughing softly, Gumi said, "You're really energetic, aren't you?" Then she tapped some keys on her laptop, speaking as she typed. "Here, I've got some games on here to pass the time, if you're interested."

So while we waited, the five of us took turns playing a pinball game on Gumi's laptop. Rin and Len would occasionally argue about whose turn it was and Luka had to break it up, but it kept things interesting.

After what seemed like forever, I finally heard, "Number 89! Number 89!"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, leaping out of my seat and running over to the lady, who then directed me to the MV room where my friends went before me. I clutched onii-san's handkerchief in my pocket for good luck and took a deep breath before I entered the room.

All three judges turned in my direction when I came in. The silver-haired Haku was in the center, and two men flanked her. I handed my CD to a man standing by a speaker before walking in front of the green screen and clearing my throat. "*Ahem!* H-Hello, my name is Miku Hatsune."

Haku's eyebrows shot up when I said that. "Hatsune?" Then she leaned over and whispered something into one of the judge's ears. As she did that, I couldn't help noticing that Haku's breasts were a lot bigger than I thought… I quickly shook my head in order to focus.

When Haku turned back to me, she asked, "Hatsune-san, let me ask you something… Why do you want to be a Vocaloid?"

My heart started to speed up. I didn't realize that I would have to answer such a question! _Maybe I should've paid more attention to the feed on Gumi-san's laptop!_ I thought. But then, the face of that beautiful older boy appeared in my head and I recalled his advice.

After taking a deep breath and then exhaling, I gave my answer. "Well, it's because I really enjoy writing and singing songs. I love it so much that I want to share my songs with everyone! It's my dream to become a singer, and let my songs touch the hearts of those who listen!"

Haku didn't say anything at first, but she did smile. "I like this girl already," I heard her say to the judge on her left. "Alright, we're ready when you are."

I told the man by the speaker to play track 3 on the CD. "This song is called 'Melt.' I hope you like it!" The music started to play, and I began to sing .

_La lala la la la la…_

_asa me ga samete (I wake up in the morning)_

_massaki ni omoiukabu kimi no koto (And immediately I start to think of you)_

_omoikitte maegami wo kitta (I decided to cut my bangs)_

_"doushita no?" tte kikaretakute (Just to hear you say, "What happened?")_

_PINKU no SUKAATO ohana no kamikazari (A pink skirt, and a flower barrette)_

_sashite dekakeru no (And it's time to go)_

_kyou no watashi wa kawaii no yo! (I'm looking super cute today!)_

_MERUTO tokete shimaisou (Melt - I'm about to melt)_

_suki da nante zettai ni ienai... dakedo (I can't tell you that I like you... but...)_

_MERUTO me mo awaserarenai (Melt - I can't let our eyes meet)_

_koi ni koi nante shinai wa watashi (I'm not into love and all that)_

_datte kimi no koto ga ...suki nano (But I do... like you)_

As I sang the song, I recalled everything I had experienced with onii-san: from the bike accident, to sharing an umbrella, to hearing him laugh, to holding his hand… right to the end, when we finally parted at the bus station.

_MERUTO eki ni tsuite shimau... (Melt - We've reached the station...)_

_mou aenai chikakute tooi yo dakara (We can't see each other anymore, we're close yet so far away, so...)_

_MERUTO te wo tsunaide arukitai! (Melt - I want to walk hand in hand with you!)_

_mou BAIBAI shinakucha ikenai no? (Must we say goodbye so soon?)_

_ima sugu watashi wo dakishimete! (Hold me tight right away!)_

_...nante ne (...or something)_

When the song ended, I looked at the judges for their verdict. They whispered back and forth for a minute until finally, Haku turned to me and said, "You've got promise, kid. We'll be in touch."

I smiled and bowed gratefully. "Thank you very much!" I exited the MV room and ran back to my friends, where I was immediately swarmed.

"Miku-nee, that was amazing!" the twins exclaimed, tackle-hugging me again.

"Did you make up those dance moves on the spot?" Luka piped up.

"If you did, that's pretty darn impressive!" Gumi said, her eyes wide with fascination.

"Aw, thanks everyone!" I said, my whole face red and yet I was smiling and laughing with my friends. Today ended on a good note after all, and I had a ton of fun!

We said good-bye to Gumi, but not before she gave me her cell phone number so we could keep in touch. "Hope you find that onii-san!" she called as we left Crypton Records.

"What do you say we celebrate with some sushi?" I suggested to everyone's delight. But before I could go any further, I heard someone's voice singing.

_sekai de ichiban ohimesama (I know that you're the number one princess)_

_wakatteiru kara omae wa ore no… yome (So I want you as my bride)_

I couldn't believe it. The words were different, but there was no mistaking it: someone was singing "World Is Mine!" "Hey guys, I'll be right back," I said before taking off in the direction of the voice… a voice that sounded extremely familiar.

I rounded a corner, and I saw someone leaning against a wall as he sang the intro again. He turned towards me and walked out of the shadows, revealing his face. "Hello again, Hatsune-san," he greeted with a smile.

No words came out for a minute. After all, I was standing face-to-face with… "K… Kaito Shion?!"

**Next time…**

**Miku: Ehhh?! That beautiful onii-san was Kaito Shion?**

**Rin and Len: No way!**

**Luka: That's… pretty incredible.**

**Kaito: I look forward to working with you in the future.**

**Miku: Eh? What does he mean by that?**

**Next time: Track 3 – World Is Mine**


	3. Track 3 - World Is Mine

**Miku: Argh, Elise-sensei! You left the last chapter on a cliffhanger!**

**EliseArainai: I know! Sorry, Miku-chan. But on the plus side, chapter 3 is up!**

**Miku: Yay! *jumps for joy***

**Luka: Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid, but she would appreciate if you would leave a review.**

**Rin and Len: Enjoy~!**

I was at a complete loss for words. Standing right in front of me was the man of my dreams, Kaito Shion! And he was singing my song just a minute ago! Well, the words were different, but regardless!

Walking closer to me, Kaito began speaking again. "I was watching your audition. You have incredible talent, Hatsune-san. And sorry about using your song, but I wanted to get your attention somehow."

My voice finally came back to me. "U-Um, how did you know about that song, by the way?" I asked, my face heating up. "Only my friends know 'World Is Mine.'"

"You sang it for me before, remember?" Kaito replied with a light laugh, but he stopped when he saw the confused expression on my face. "Hm? You don't remember me?"

I shook my head. "No, this is the first time we met," I answered nervously.

Kaito thought for a few seconds before his eyes lit up. "Oh, that's right! Maybe these will help." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small case and pulled out a pair of glasses before slipping them onto his face. "Recognize me now?"

My eyes grew wide when I realized who he was. "_You_ were onii-san?!" I cried, pointing right at him.

"Surprise!" Kaito said with a grin before removing the glasses. "Sorry I didn't tell you before, but I have to hide my identity when I go out in public or else I risk getting hounded by paparazzi. Gumi-chan thinks that I can pass off as a high school student despite my age, so that's the guise I use most often."

I was about to tell him that I couldn't believe that worked all the time, but then again it had fooled me, so who was I to talk? I just couldn't believe that I had held hands with _the _Kaito Shion. It seemed too good to be true!

"Miku-nee, everything okay?" Rin's voice asked, and I turned to see that my friends had caught up to me. The minute they saw Kaito, however, they skidded to a halt, just as stunned as I was.

Kaito smiled at them. "You must be Hatsune-san's friends. I'm Kaito Shion, it's nice to meet you," he said with a bow.

"N-Nice to meet you too, Kaito-sama!" Rin blurted out, hearts appearing in her eyes. Next to her, Len smacked his forehead, apparently embarrassed by his love-struck sister.

"Were you watching us too, K- er, Shion-san?" Luka asked, her face as red as a tomato as she stopped herself from saying "Kaito-sama". She couldn't even look Kaito in the eye.

The blue-haired man shook his head. "I'm afraid not, I'm sorry. But I'll be looking at the audition recordings, so I'll see your performances then."

"Cool," Len commented.

Kaito looked behind him before turning back to us. "I better go before Haku sends out a search party," he joked before smiling at us and bowing. "Good luck. I look forward to working with you in the future." And then he walked past us, looking back only to wave goodbye before heading to the studio.

All four of us were silent for a few minutes. _Huh? Why did he say that?_ I thought. _I don't get it… why is he so confident in me?_

Finally, Len spoke up. "What do you suppose he meant by that? The 'good luck' part I understand, but it's almost as if he knows who's gonna pass."

"Who cares?! I got to meet Kaito-sama!" Rin squealed happily. "And Miku-nee, I think he really likes you!"

"Me?" I asked, pointing at myself.

"Well, he did give you his handkerchief, right?" Luka pointed out. "K.S… those are his initials."

"Ack! I forgot to give it back!" I exclaimed before running to catch up to Kaito. I saw him as he was about to go inside Crypton Records and called out to him. "Kai- I mean, Shion-san!" He stopped in front of the door and turned to face me as I stopped in front of him and pulled his handkerchief out of my pocket. "U-Um, I kinda forgot to… g-give this back to you," I said blushing.

The blue-haired man just patted my head. "It's fine, you can keep it," he said with a gentle smile. "And Hatsune-san?"

"Y-Yes?"

"You can just call me 'Kaito-san,'" he told me before heading inside.

When he was gone, I held the handkerchief to my chest and smiled to myself. Now I was really hoping that I would pass!

…

Glancing around the studio, I saw that everyone who had auditioned had gone home. I chuckled to myself as I thought of that energetic girl. Miku Hatsune… not only was she cute, but she had the most talent out of anyone I had seen in a long time. I had a strong feeling about her, but I would have to look at everyone else's auditions as well as hers.

Gumi was doing something funny with her computer as usual, and she looked up when she heard me come in. "Hey, Kaito! My, don't we look happy."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered innocently, winking at Gumi who just giggled. "Where are Meiko and Haku?"

"Yowase-san's getting the discs together, and I think Meiko's already gone home," Gumi answered. "She told me to tell you to bring the discs to her apartment so you guys could watch them."

"Hoo boy," I muttered, shaking my head. "Thanks," I told Gumi before heading to the MV room.

The second Haku saw me, she jerked her thumb to a stack of DVDs on a table. "We made it easy for you and narrowed it down to the top twenty," she said. "Also, that Hatsune girl you recommended sure is something else. Personally, I'm rooting for her."

"I thought judges were supposed to be impartial," I cracked as I picked up the DVDs and carefully placed them in a box.

"Har har. Have fun, Kaito-kun," Haku shot back. "If you need me, I'll be at the bar."

I just rolled my eyes. Haku really needed to cut down on the liquor, since there had been several occasions when she came to work hung-over. Well, I suppose it could be worse: she could show up drunk.

Lucky for me, Meiko's apartment, as well as mine, was just across from the studio. I headed over there and knocked on the door. "Meiko, it's me."

"Coming!" a feminine voice called from inside. The door opened, and Meiko was standing there in red satin pajamas. "Hey, Kaito," she said, winking at me as I came inside.

"In your pajamas already?" I asked, shaking my head again. "At least wear real clothes when people come over."

"Is that any way to treat someone who bought ice cream?" Meiko teased.

The instant I heard the words "ice cream," I quickly said, "On second thought, you look nice. Where is it?"

"Usual spot in the freezer." That was the last thing I heard before I zipped over to Meiko's freezer and pulled out a small tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Okay, so I have an ice cream obsession. It's not _that_ unusual!

After grabbing a spoon, I settled down on the couch next to Meiko and we started watching the DVDs while I ate my ice cream. I had to admit, the performances done by Miku's friends were pretty darn good. Heck, they were better than a lot of the others. But my eyes lit up when I saw Miku singing and dancing again.

Meiko smiled as we watched. "Alright, I agree with you. She's really good… and so cute! People would love her," she said before glancing at the other three discs we had set aside. "So out of all of those, only four really caught our eye."

"Four, huh?" I mumbled. Setting the now-empty tub and spoon aside, I picked up the four discs that were left. Miku was among them, and the others were "Rin Kagamine," "Len Kagamine," and "Luka Megurine." Now the question was, which one should we choose?

…

When Monday came around, I was in such a good mood I was humming "Melt" as I was walking to my shoe locker. Kaito's beautiful smile hadn't left my mind once since that day, and I had left the handkerchief he gave me on my desk back home so I wouldn't lose it.

I opened my locker and was about to take the slippers out when someone slammed it shut again. I turned to see another girl with long blonde hair pulled into a side ponytail standing next to me. "Hey, Hatsune," she greeted with a smirk.

"Morning, Akita," I replied, reopening my locker. Neru Akita is in the same year as me, but she's not really the nicest girl I've ever met. I wasn't sure what she wanted with me this time. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, but you seem to be in a good mood," Neru pointed out.

I nodded. "Yep. I survived the audition on Friday!" I didn't care what Neru said to me today, nothing was gonna bring me down.

"Oh yeah, the Vocaloid audition," Neru said as she fiddled with a magazine in her hand. "I heard you had a run-in with Kaito-sama."

"Eh? Where did you-?" I started to ask before Neru interrupted me.

"Don't play dumb, or is that some other teal-haired girl?" she asked as she showed me the cover of her magazine, which had a picture of me and Kaito in front of Crypton Records! The headline read, "Kaito Sweet on Vocaloid Hopeful?", and showed him patting me on the head.

For a minute, I was struck dumb. How could the media have gotten it so wrong?! "Th-That's not true!" I blurted out. "I just ran into him!"

"Really?" Neru said as she opened the magazine to one particular page. "Then what's that in your hand?" She pointed to an enlarged portion of the photo, where it showed my hand holding the handkerchief. Before I could even come up with a response, the magazine was swiped from Neru's hand. "Hey!"

"Magazines with this sort of content are taboo on school grounds, Akita-san," Mikuo said as he confiscated the magazine and tucked it under his arm. "You can have it back when school is over."

I sighed with relief. Sometimes having the student council vice-president as a brother really came in handy. Neru pouted and stomped away, but not without shooting me a dirty look.

"Thanks, nii-chan," I said as I picked up my bag and walked alongside him.

"Don't pay any attention to what that girl says, Miku-chan," Mikuo told me. "Besides, half of what these magazines say isn't even true."

Laughing, I responded, "That's a good point. Kaito-san is nice to girls, but he's no playboy. I'm sure nobody took it seriously." I said that, and yet a few other girls we passed were giving me the evil eye.

Come to think of it, if I did become a Vocaloid, I would have to deal with the press much like Kaito and Meiko had to. Unfortunately I hadn't really given that aspect very much thought.

Mikuo patted my head. "It's gonna be okay. I'll bet it'll be cleared up by tomorrow."

"I hope so," I muttered. When we reached my classroom, Mikuo and I parted ways. "Have a good day, nii-chan!"

"Hang in there," he said before walking down the hall.

When lunch time came around, I headed for the chain-link fence, where my friends were all waiting for me. "Hey, guys!"

"Hi, Miku-nee," the twins greeted simultaneously.

"How are you holding up?" Luka asked with that concerned look on her face. I immediately guessed that she and the twins had also seen the photo.

"I'm okay," I answered as I opened up my bento lunch. "The only person who has really bugged me about it is Neru Akita."

"Ugh, she's such a snob!" Rin commented, sticking her tongue out. "Don't listen to her."

"Yeah, it's just a big misunderstanding," Len added, leaning against the fence. "Then again, doesn't she have a crush on Kaito, too?"

Rin responded by elbowing Len. "Len, we're trying to make her feel better!" she scolded while Len rubbed his side.

I couldn't help laughing. Those two could be such goofs! "Guys, I'm fine, really!"

"Well, let us know if something happens, okay?" Luka said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You can talk to us about anything."

Smiling, I hugged Luka tightly. "Thanks, Luka nee-chan!"

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I quickly pulled away from the older girl so I could check it. "Miku-san, you're not supposed to have your cell phone on," Luka reminded.

"Sorry, just let me check this," I said as I opened up the phone to see that I had gotten an e-mail. "Huh, I don't recognize the number."

"Open it anyway, it might be someone from Crypton," Rin piped up.

Taking her advice, I opened the message, which read:

"_Hey, this is Kaito. Gumi-chan gave me your number, in case you were wondering. I'm sure you've seen that photo that was taken of us the other day, but don't worry, I just told the person responsible that they had gotten their facts confused and he has apologized. Now that that's taken care of, I was hoping I could meet you and your friends again. Tomorrow after school, please meet me at the Hachiko statue in Shibuya. I'll be in disguise, but it won't be too hard for you to spot. See you then!"_

"Holy cow, it's from Kaito-san!" I exclaimed excitedly, and the other three quickly moved behind me so they could see the message. "He wants us to meet him at the Hachiko statue after school tomorrow!"

"No way!" the twins blurted out.

"By disguise, he must mean what he was wearing when you first met," Rin figured.

"That's easy, a school uniform and glasses," I said instinctively, fondly remembering our first meeting.

Len snickered. "Isn't the guy like, 20 or something?"

_Oh yeah, he missed that conversation,_ I thought. "Apparently Gumi-chan thinks that he looks young enough to pass as a high-school student. He certainly fooled me!"

"You're easily fooled, Miku-nee," Len commented, which made all of us laugh.

…

Before I knew it, it was already after school the next day. My friends and I managed to get on the train headed for Shibuya and when we arrived, we promptly headed for the Hachiko statue outside the station.

I grinned when I saw the bronze dog statue and immediately started looking around for Kaito. I could hear Len talking to Rin behind me. "Remember, nix on the '-sama,' it's 'Shion-san.'"

"I know! It was a slip of the tongue last time," Rin pouted. I giggled before checking the other side of the statue.

My heart started pounding when I saw Kaito, wearing his student disguise again. The minute he saw me, he smiled and shot me a salute. "Yo, Hatsune-san."

"H-Hi, Kaito-san," I replied, already feeling my cheeks turn red.

"It's good to see you again," Luka said as she and the twins walked over.

"You, too," Kaito said, bowing to the others. "I'm glad you came, I wanted to talk to all of you."

A blushing Rin spoke up. "Uh, what did you want to talk to us about, Shion-san?"

"Kaito-san is fine," Kaito said with a light laugh. "Meiko and I have watched your performances several times by now. Choosing just one Vocaloid has become difficult for us."

"Really?" I asked in amazement. He and Meiko liked our auditions that much?

"I just had a few questions for you," Kaito said, leaning against the statue. "I did a little research; the songs you all sang weren't by any artist I know of."

"Miku-nee writes our songs," Len explained, seemingly not as nervous as the rest of us. "And we compose the music in a recording studio at our house," he continued while gesturing to himself and his twin.

"Mm-hmm. And the dancing? Where did you learn that?" Kaito asked.

"U-Um, I taught them, Kaito-san," Luka answered quietly, glancing off to the side with flushed cheeks. "I-I took dancing lessons, and I helped the others learn."

Kaito tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Very interesting," he said, folding his arms. "Each of you wants to become a Vocaloid, and yet you're helping each other? Why?"

I started to explain. "Well you see, we all have the same dream of becoming singers, and we grew up together, so we've always supported each other."

"We never really saw it as a competition," Luka added, shaking her head.

"We even made a promise before the audition," Rin said as she looked over at Len.

"If one of us passed, then the rest of us would support them no matter what," Len continued, smiling back at his sister.

"And even if one of us makes it, the rest of us won't give up on our dream!" I finished with a determined smile.

Kaito was silent, just looking at us with an unreadable expression. Finally, he grinned and said, "Did you get all that, Meiko?"

Suddenly, a lovely young woman with short brown hair wearing sunglasses walked up to us. Removing the sunglasses, she revealed herself to be Meiko Sakine herself! "Yep, I heard everything. You guys are really something else!" Beside her, Kaito had removed his glasses and was now wearing his trademark blue scarf.

"M-M-Meiko Sakine?!" I stammered, placing my hands over my mouth so I wouldn't be too loud.

"Oh please, just call me Meiko," she said with a wave of her hand. She was surprisingly casual. "And you, Miku Hatsune, are a very lucky girl. Wanna know why?"

I nodded eagerly. "Why, why?"

"Because you…" Pausing for dramatic effect, Meiko and Kaito then pointed directly at me. "… have been chosen as a new Vocaloid!"

I couldn't help it. I leapt high into the air, squealing with delight. "Yay! I'm a Vocaloid!" Several by-standers who heard the announcement applauded.

"Way to go, Miku-nee!" the twins cheered, hugging me from both sides.

"Congratulations, Miku-san," Luka said with a proud smile.

"One more thing," Kaito piped up, interrupting our celebration. "As I said, choosing just one new Vocaloid was difficult. We don't really have permission to do this yet, but…"

"How would the rest of you like to be Vocaloids along with Hatsune-san?" Meiko finished Kaito's sentence.

"Are you kidding?" Len exclaimed. "How could we say no?!"

"Omigosh, we're all Vocaloids!" Rin cried as she and her brother hugged each other.

Luka and I clasped each other's hands and jumped excitedly, tears brimming around the pink-haired girl's eyes. "This is too good to be true!"

Meiko and Kaito watched us as we celebrated. "Alright, alright!" Meiko said, getting our attention again. "Starting next week, you're gonna be very busy. Hope you're ready!"

"Thank you so much!" I said, bowing to the two original Vocaloids.

"Smile!" a voice called, and we all turned to see a man with a camera. The six of us quickly moved closer and, flashing "V" signs, smiled for the camera for the first time as Vocaloids!

**Next time:**

**Meiko: You know, being a singer isn't all fun and games. It takes a lot of hard work and patience. I just hope they're ready for the world of showbiz.**

**Kaito: I have faith in them… especially her.**

**Next time: Track 4 – Blue Lotus**

**Fun fact: The statue featured in this chapter is an actual statue by the Shibuya train station. It was erected to honor Hachiko, a loyal dog who would wait at the station for his master every day, even years after the man had passed away.**


	4. Track 4 - Blue Lotus

**Luka: *bows in apology* We're sorry for taking so long.**

**Miku: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed our story so far!**

**Kaito: Our fans are what keep us going, so keep it up! ;)**

**Rin and Len: Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid; she just writes stories about us.**

My eyes widened when I entered my new apartment. Part of the contract with Crypton Records required me, as well as my friends, to move to the apartment building across from the studio. My new home was so spacious and modern; I couldn't believe I was going to live there! "Is this much space really necessary?" I wondered.

"That's a celebrity's apartment for ya," Mikuo replied as he set down the last of my luggage. "You sure you're gonna be alright on your own?"

I turned to face him and smiled. "I'll be fine! I can still get to school using the bus, and I'll have my friends nearby. What about you, nii-chan? Are you gonna be alright?"

"Of course! I won't have to wake you up every morning," he cracked before receiving a punch in the arm from yours truly, which he just laughed off. "Need any help unpacking?"

"No, I think I can handle it," I answered. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the open door. Mikuo and I turned to see Meiko standing in the doorway. "Oh, hi Sakine-san," I greeted.

"Miku, I told you, you can call me Meiko," the older woman chuckled as she entered the apartment. One thing I've learned about Meiko in the past few days is that she has a tendency to not use honorifics… well, not with the other Vocaloids, at least. "Sorry for intruding, I just wanted to make sure you were settling in nicely."

I saw Mikuo's face turn red at the sight of the busty Vocaloid. Guess I couldn't blame him; Meiko was gorgeous. He quickly straightened himself up and bowed in her direction. "H-Hello! I'm Mikuo Hatsune, Miku-chan's older brother. Please take care of my sister!"

"I'm Meiko Sakine. Nice to meet you, Mikuo-kun," Meiko replied. Yep, it looked like she only ditched the honorifics when she was addressing the other Vocaloids. "And don't worry, your sister is in good hands here!" she finished with a smile.

"Thank you very much!" Mikuo said as he bowed again, his cheeks still flushed. Turning back around to face me, he placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Well, good luck Miku-chan. Give me a call if you ever need anything… besides a wake-up call," he finished with a smirk.

"Ha ha," I replied sarcastically before hugging my brother. "Bye-bye, nii-chan. I'll see you at school." Mikuo hugged me back before walking out of the apartment, bowing one last time to Meiko before he disappeared down the hall.

The older woman watched as he left. "He seems nice," she commented with a smile. "Is he single?"

"Uh, he's about five years younger than you, but yeah, he's single," I answered hesitantly, trying to picture my 17-year-old brother dating the 22-year-old star. Shaking the image out of my head, I noticed that the whole time Meiko had been hiding something behind her back. "What've you got there?"

"Think of it as a welcome present," the older woman said as she revealed a bag. "I'll give you a hint: it has to do with why we took your measurements the other day."

My eyes lit up. "It's finished already?! No way!" I exclaimed. Let me pause the conversation for a sec so I can explain: The day after my friends and I were declared Vocaloids, Meiko told us that we each would get a special outfit to wear during performances. It wouldn't be our only outfit, of course, but it would be our "default," as she put it.

Meiko nodded before handing the bag to me. "Yep! Why don't you go ahead and try it on?"

"Okay!" I said as I took the bag and dashed into the bedroom. It was bigger than my old bedroom, complete with a queen-size bed, a walk-in closet and a full-length mirror.

I quickly looked inside the bag and carefully laid out my new outfit on the bed. It consisted of a sleeveless gray dress shirt, a teal necktie that matched my hair and eyes, a black skirt lined with teal, black arm warmers and black thigh-high boots, both also lined with teal. There was also a teal chain for my skirt, a bottle of teal nail polish, a black and maroon headset, and a pair of black and maroon hair ties. One look at this outfit and I already loved it!

I tried on everything, aside from the boots, which I would put on when I left, before returning to Meiko. Flashing a smile, I twirled around in front of the older Vocaloid. "Well, what do you think?"

She didn't say anything at first, but then she suddenly yanked me into a tight hug, pressing my face against her ample chest. "Oh, you look so cute! It's perfect!"

"Thanks!" I replied, my voice a bit muffled. When she finally let me go, I asked, "Can I go show the others?"

"You can show them at the studio, they're already waiting," Meiko said. "Get your boots on, and let's go." Nodding eagerly, I pulled on my boots before following her out the door.

My excitement grew as we crossed the street to Crypton Records. Not only was it our moving day, but my friends and I were going to start recording our first singles! We had recorded music before, but this time we had professionals helping us out. I secretly hoped that I would be working with Kaito at some point.

Speaking of whom, I hadn't really seen the blue-haired Vocaloid since the announcement in Shibuya four days ago. _He's probably busy with his own projects,_ I thought. _It's only natural that I won't always see him._

When Meiko and I reached the studio, I glanced around for Luka and the twins. The first person I spotted was Luka sitting at a small table. My jaw dropped when I saw the older girl's new outfit. She was wearing a black and gold sleeveless turtleneck top which showed her midriff, a black split skirt lined with gold, two brown and gold belts, black thigh-high stockings and gold boots with black laces which stopped just below her knees. A headset, two armbands and an arm warmer, (all of them brown, gold and aqua) as well as an aqua jewel near her throat, completed the ensemble.

"Luka nee-chan, you look amazing!" I exclaimed, getting her attention at the same time.

The pink-haired girl smiled when she saw me. "Miku-chan? You look so cute!" she said as she stood up and walked over.

"Thank you!" I said with a smile. "Where are the twins?"

"They couldn't wait," Luka answered with a light laugh. "They've already gone to one of the recording studios."

I giggled at the twins' impatience. "Too bad, I was hoping to see their outfits before we got started."

"Don't worry, you'll get to see them when you're done for the day," Meiko reassured me as she handed me a map of the building. "In the meantime, Gumi-chan's waiting for you in Studio 1, Miku. Just follow the map."

"Thank you, Meiko," I said with a bow. "See you later, Luka nee-chan!" I said, waving good-bye to my friend before scanning the map.

After a while of wandering, I finally found Studio 1. Gumi, who was sitting in front of a large panel, turned when she heard me come in. "Hey, Miku-chan! It's been a while."

"Good to see you too, Gumi-chan," I replied as I stepped into the recording booth. Inside was a microphone attached to the ceiling, a stool and a bottle of water. "Is this thing on?" I asked, tapping the mike.

"Not yet, I'll turn it on when we start recording," Gumi said as she closed the door to the booth. She returned to the panel and started speaking into a microphone of her own, and I could hear her voice over some speakers. "Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," I said with a thumbs-up.

"Good. Do you have any questions so far?" the green-haired girl asked, going into professional mode.

"Not right now," I responded. "The twins have a recording studio at their house, so I pretty much know the set-up."

"Great! Then let's get started," Gumi said as she took out my demo CD. "We're recording 'World Is Mine' and 'Melt' for the single. Let's work on 'World Is Mine' first. Let me know when you're ready."

Taking a few minutes to do some voice exercises, I finally told Gumi I was ready, and the recording process began.

…

After I had guided Luka to her recording studio, I stretched my arms and walked back to the lobby. As excited as I was for the four of them, I did have my concerns. I mean, they were all still in school, so I was wondering how they were going to balance their school life with their new work. Kaito and I never had that problem, as we both started after we had graduated.

Sighing, I pulled out my cell phone and called Kaito. "Kaito," the voice on the other end answered.

"Hey, it's Meiko," I said. "They all just started recording. But listen, it's just now occurring to me that they may not be ready for showbiz yet."

"You agreed that they were Vocaloid material," Kaito reminded.

"I know, I know!" I replied irritably before sighing again. "You know as well as I do that this isn't all fun and games. They're gonna have to work hard, deal with the paparazzi every once in a while, not to mention they still have their schoolwork… I just wonder if they can handle it."

There was a pause on the other end, but he finally spoke up after a few moments. "I have faith in them. They're determined to succeed, and I believe they can… especially her."

I had a feeling I knew who "her" was; Miku Hatsune. "Boy, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were crushing on her, Kaito," I teased.

Sarcastic laughter was heard. "Very funny," he muttered. "I gotta go, but I'll see you later."

"Laters," I said before hanging up, a smug smile on my face even though Kaito couldn't see it. _Well, as long as he believes in them, I guess I should, too,_ I thought as I walked out of Crypton Records. _I'll drink to you guys tonight…_

…

It took all afternoon, but Gumi and I finally finished recording for the day. "Good work today, Miku-chan!" Gumi said with a smile. "At this rate, we'll get that single out in no time!"

I took a swig from a water bottle before responding. "Thank you! I can't wait to work with you more, Gumi-chan."

"Same here," the green-haired girl said with a smile. "See you tomorrow!" And with that, I left the recording studio and headed back to the lobby.

That was when I finally spotted Rin and Len. They were about to go out the door when I called them. "Hey, guys!"

They both turned in my direction. "Hey, Miku-nee," they said at the same time before their eyes widened.

"Wow! I love your outfit!" Rin exclaimed as she looked me over.

"Thank you, Rin-chan! You two look so adorable!" I replied. The female twin was wearing a sleeveless white, black and yellow sailor top with a yellow ribbon which exposed her midriff, short black shorts, a yellow belt, black arm and leg warmers, and white shoes. She had tied her usual white ribbon to her new white and yellow headset, a yellow chain hung from her left hip, and she had a few white bobby pins in her hair.

Len blushed at the compliment. "Th-Thanks," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. His outfit was similar to Rin's, with some differences. His sailor top was more like a t-shirt, a yellow necktie replaced the ribbon, his black shorts stopped just above his knees, and his chain hung from his right hip. He had a headset identical to Rin's, minus the ribbon of course.

"So how'd your recording session go?" I asked.

"It was pretty fun," Rin replied. "Len and I are gonna be doing one single together, so we each only have to sing one song."

"It'll be the same when we get to recording our album," Len continued. "I guess they like the idea of twins working together."

"Makes sense to me," I said with a nod. Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly. "Whoops, I guess it is dinnertime, huh?" I muttered sheepishly. "You two wanna join me?"

Rin yawned and stretched her arms. "I would, but I'm tired from moving and recording… I'm just beat."

"Well, you'd better get used to it," Len told his sister before letting out his own yawn. "Sorry Miku-nee, I think we're just gonna go back to our apartment."

"I understand. See you tomorrow," I said as the twins left. I waited a while for Luka, and when she didn't show up, I texted her. She replied a few minutes later, saying that she was already back at her apartment and that she didn't have the energy to do anything else tonight. I shrugged and left Crypton Records.

I was about to head across the street when someone whistled. I looked to the side and was surprised to see Kaito standing there. "Good evening, Hatsune-san," he greeted with a smile.

"G-Good evening, Kaito-san!" I replied, my face heating up again. "It's been a while, huh?"

"Yeah, four days I think," he said with a nod. Once again, Kaito had donned his student disguise, not that I was complaining. He chuckled when my stomach growled again. "Uh-oh, sounds like someone's hungry. I know a restaurant not too far away, if you wanna join me."

I couldn't believe my ears. Kaito Shion was inviting me to have dinner with him?! "I-I'd love to!" I blurted out, my whole face turning red.

"Great! Follow me," Kaito said as he led me down the street. We soon reached a family restaurant and we were seated in a booth farther in the back. "See anything you like?" he asked.

It took me a second to realize he was referring to the menu. I quickly hid my blushing face behind it, hoping he didn't notice. "U-Um, I think I'll just have potato leek soup."

"I haven't tried that, but I've heard it's really good here," Kaito commented, seeming oblivious to my nervousness. "I think I'll have the omrice." Reaching across the table, he pulled my menu down so he could see me. "Just relax, Hatsune-san. We're co-workers now, so you don't have to be nervous."

_I do if said co-worker is really hot!_ I thought, unable to look the older man in the eye. Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I finally looked directly at Kaito. "Sorry, I-I'm still getting used to being around you," I explained. "Uh, I just realized that I don't have my wallet."

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's on me," the blue-haired man said, waving his hand in dismissal.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no, I couldn't-!"

"It's fine," Kaito interrupted. "Besides, you need a chance to unwind after working so hard. Speaking of which, how did recording go?"

"It was pretty fun!" I said happily. "Gumi-chan's a nice person to work with. I can't wait till the single gets out! …Although I am a little nervous about that, too. What if they don't like my songs?" I muttered.

It was then that Kaito reached over and lightly rapped my forehead with his knuckles. "Hey, no negative thoughts allowed!" he scolded before sitting back down. "You're just starting out, so I understand why you're anxious. But I just know they're gonna love you," Kaito said with a confident smile, which made me blush all over again.

"Thanks, Kaito-san," I said, returning his smile. In a way, he sort of reminded me of Mikuo, the way he was acting like a big brother.

A while later, our food came. "Itadakimasu!" I said before I started carefully eating the hot soup.

"Itadakimasu," Kaito repeated before starting on his omrice. He arched an eyebrow as I started eating faster. "You really like that soup, huh?"

"Oh, I like anything with leeks," I answered. "They're my favorite food!"

"Leeks? I wouldn't have guessed that," the blue-haired Vocaloid said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm afraid my eating habits aren't nearly as healthy."

"Oh? Why, what's your favorite food?" I asked curiously.

"Ice cream, actually," Kaito replied without hesitation. "I've loved it ever since I was a kid. It's a bit of an obsession, really."

I couldn't help giggling. Who would've thought Kaito had an obsession with something like ice cream?! "Wow, I never would've guessed that you had a sweet tooth," I said in-between giggles.

"Is it really that funny?" the older man asked, tilting his head. "Technically speaking, ice cream is a dairy product, so it's good for you."

"Not as good as leeks. They're a vegetable, while ice cream has a lot of sugar," I countered.

"Ice cream requires little preparation, while you always have to cook leek with something," Kaito said.

"Not always!" I shot back. We glared at each other for a few seconds before we burst out laughing.

"Okay, let's call a truce," Kaito chuckled before settling down. "Think you're gonna be up for dessert?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" We checked the dessert menu, and I decided on strawberry shortcake while he, of course, went straight for the ice cream. It took Kaito a while to decide between vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but he finally settled on one scoop of each.

We eventually left the restaurant and walked back to the apartment building. "I had fun tonight! Thank you, Kaito-san," I said with a big smile.

"No problem," Kaito said, returning my smile. "If you ever need a chance to unwind, or if anything is stressing you out, just call me. I'll be more than willing to help you, Hatsune-san."

I nodded before glancing off to the side. I had been thinking of telling him this for a couple of days, but only now could I get up the courage to say it. "Uh, Kaito-san… I-It's okay if you call me… Miku-chan."

The blue-haired Vocaloid patted my head. "Thank you, Miku-chan. In that case, feel free to call me Kaito nii-chan."

Kaito nii-chan… I liked the sound of that. "Okay!"

"Want me to walk you to your apartment?" he asked.

"Sure. It's room 201," I said as we walked into the building and stepped into the elevator. As we rode up, I couldn't help glancing over at the handsome Kaito. We had essentially gone on a date… I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!

Once we reached my room, I turned towards him. "Well, uh… Good night, Kaito nii-chan."

"Good night, Miku-chan," Kaito said, patting my head one last time before leaving.

I entered my apartment in a daze, but I snapped out of it long enough to grab my mp3 player. Attaching it to the headset I was still wearing, I flopped down on the couch and listened Kaito's song "Blue Lotus". That song always encouraged me, but now I just wanted to listen to it out of sheer happiness.

_Koko ni wa yami shika ari wa shinaito ("Nothing but darkness exists here")_

_Hiza o kakaete nageku anata no (You sigh, hugging your knees)_

_Kokoro no naka kara boku wa me o dashi (From within your heart)_

_Aoku kagayaku hana ni naru (I sprout into a shining blue flower)_

_Yogoreta mizu wa moto ni modoranaito ("Soiled water can never be clean again")_

_Me o fusete anata wa wara ukedo (With downcast eyes, you ridicule yourself)_

_Sono mizu o nonda boku no utagoe wa (However, having drank this water)_

_Shimi hitotsu nai hane o hirogeta (My singing voice has spread out its untainted petals)_

_Anata kara umareta boku o (Please keep your eyes open)_

_Me o tojinaide mitsumete (To look closely at me, who was born from you)_

**Next time:**

**Miku: Alright, we're gonna work on dancing now! **

**Luka: We're working with Yowase-san, right? I just hope I don't mess up.**

**Miku: Kaito nii-chan says "No negative thoughts allowed!"**

**Rin and Len: Kaito nii-chan…?**

**Next time: Luka Luka Night Fever**


	5. Track 5 - Luka Luka Night Fever

**Rin and Len: Alright! Chapter 5 is finally up!**

**Meiko: Thanks for being so patient! (and sorry Elise-sensei is so slow.)**

**EliseArainai: I heard that!**

**Miku: Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid; she just writes stories about us. She also doesn't own DDR. Oh Luka nee-chan, it's your turn to narrate!**

**Luka: Oh, right. Please enjoy! **

My eyes widened as I stepped into the small dance studio. Today, my friends and I were starting our dancing practice with Haku Yowase. Haku hadn't arrived yet, so I took the opportunity to stretch a little. Miku, Rin and Len were also there and followed my example.

Miku must've noticed my nervousness; she always did somehow. "Luka nee-chan, why so nervous? You've danced in front of Yowase-san before, this should be a piece of cake!"

"Easy for you to say," I replied. "Sorry Miku-san, but you know how much I look up to her. I'm just afraid I'll mess up."

"Think about it, Miku-nee," Len piped up. "Haku's taught several artists how to dance, including Kaito and Meiko, and I've heard she can be pretty harsh at times. So Luka-nee's got every right to be ner- Ow-ow-ow-ow!"

It was then that Rin reached over and pulled Len's ear. "Your bedside manner needs some serious work, Len," she grumbled.

I couldn't help but chuckle at those two. Usually it was Len who kept his energetic sister in line, but every once in a while the roles would reverse.

"No negative thoughts allowed!" Miku said with a smile. "That's what Kaito nii-chan says, anyway. You'll be fine!"

Rubbing his ear, Len cocked an eyebrow. "Since when do you call him 'Kaito nii-chan'?"

"Did something happen the other day?" Rin asked with a smug smile.

"Well…" Miku began with a flushed face. She didn't get any farther, however, before the door burst open, making all of us jump. We quickly stood up and straightened ourselves out.

"Good, you're all here," Haku said, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Okay, first things first: your dances at the auditions were pretty good. I could tell you at least had some training. Out of curiosity, who taught you?"

My heart started pounding. I wanted to say that I taught them, which technically I did, but then Haku's expectations would be even higher. I was under enough pressure trying to graduate high school!

What I didn't expect was for Rin and Len to point at me. "She did," they answered simultaneously.

"Is that so?" Haku asked, her gaze turning to me.

"Yeah, she's a really good teacher!" Miku piped up.

"Guys…" I muttered, my face turning red with embarrassment.

The silver-haired woman then strode right up to me. "Megurine-san, what kind of dance have you learned? What's your repertoire?"

"Um… mostly freestyle," I answered quietly, not looking her in the eye.

"Ooh, that's always fun," Haku said with a grin. "We'll work on that; that seems to work well for you guys. And Megurine-san… I expect big things from you, okay?"

Gulping, I just nodded in response.

"Alright then, let's get started!" Haku declared, and our first official dance lesson began.

…

An hour later, we had finished the grueling lesson and were drinking some cold water bottles. "Phew! Man, Yowase-san worked us hard!" Miku commented.

"In our case, it's a good thing," Len explained. "She's not only teaching us, but building our endurance so we'll last longer during performances. It's like what Luka-nee did before when she taught us, just a bit harder."

"'A bit' is putting it mildly," Rin agreed as she wiped some sweat from her brow. "But she's been at this long enough, I'm sure she knows what she's doing." Then she looked over at me. "Luka-nee, are you okay? You've been kinda quiet."

She was right, I hadn't really said anything since the lesson finished. I hadn't done nearly as well as I usually did. I even tripped up during one of the practice routines, twice! Surely Haku's expectations went downhill from that.

Looking at Rin, I shook my head. "I was so clumsy today… what will she think of me now?"

"Y-You just had an off day," Miku said in an attempt to cheer me up. "I'm sure you'll do better at the next lesson!" The twins nodded in agreement.

I just sighed and stood up. "I have to go study." And with that, I left Crypton Records and headed back to my own apartment. I didn't want to think about my embarrassment anymore.

After grabbing a quick shower and changing into some comfortable clothes, I got out my math textbook and started studying. Although my exams weren't for another couple months, I tried to get in as much studying as I could in-between my Vocaloid activities.

My cellphone buzzed an hour later and I checked it. It was a text message from Miku which read _"Remember, no negative thoughts allowed!"_ Smiling, I sent her a thank you before putting the phone aside. Miku was right, I couldn't let one off day get me down.

…

The next day at school, I opened up my locker only for several letters to fall out. My single "Just Be Friends" had been released a few days ago, and since then I had received quite a few fan letters… at least at school.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked with a giggle, and I turned to see a lovely girl with long blonde hair and a sweet smile.

"Oh, good morning Lily-san," I said to my friend as I picked up the letters. "No thank you, I think I've got it."

"Boy, you were pretty popular already, but this is crazy!" Lily commented as she opened her locker. "I just checked online, 'Just Be Friends' is in the Top 5 New Singles list."

"Eh?! Are you serious?" I exclaimed, a little surprised that my single was already so popular. I don't go online a lot, so I didn't know. Then again, Lily's information has always been reliable. She was the one who had told me about Miku getting caught on camera with Kaito that one time.

"You really should go online more often! You can keep track of how well your songs are doing," Lily said, ruffling my hair as we started walking toward class.

"What about Miku-san and the twins?" I asked curiously, wondering how well their singles did in comparison.

"'World Is Mine' and 'Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder' are also in the Top 5," the blonde answered with a grin. "In fact, I think Miku-chan's single is number one right now! If you ask me, I bet you guys will become bigger hits than Meiko and Kaito."

Chuckling shyly, I placed a hand on the back of my head. "Oh, you're just saying that to flatter me… But I'm very happy for Miku-san."

"Speaking of which, how're the dance lessons going?" Lily asked. "You said yesterday that you were gonna learn from Haku Yowase, right?"

My smile quickly fell at the mention of Haku's name. "Um, I… well, I didn't exactly leave a good impression. I messed up too much."

Lily was silent for a minute, but then she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look at it this way: you'll do a lot better next time! I've got a lot of faith in you, Luka-chan. You can do it!"

"Yeah, but the question is, does Yowase-san think I can do it?" I retorted, not looking my friend in the eye.

"I'm sure she does! Maybe she's not good at expressing herself or something," Lily said. I knew she was just trying to cheer me up, but it wasn't exactly helping. "I know just what you need: a confidence boost! We're going to the arcade after school!"

"Eh? But I have to study today…" I protested, even though technically I didn't have to work today.

"Study schmudy, you can do that later!" Lily insisted. "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!"

_What can I do? Once Lily-san's made up her mind, there's no stopping her,_ I thought with a sigh.

…

After school, Lily caught me before I could sneak out of class and dragged me out of the school. "C'mon, a little DDR will lift your spirits! According to Miku-chan, it always works."

"Were you talking to Miku-san?" I asked rhetorically.

Eventually, we reached the arcade and found the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Lily slipped some coins into the machine and hopped onto one of the dance mats. "Luka-chan, get on the other mat! Let's see if you can beat me."

Smiling at the blonde girl, I finally gave in and stepped onto the other mat. Lily selected a random song and set it to "Expert" mode. "Here goes!" she said as the music started.

As soon as the music started, I became lost in the game and my feet were moving to the arrows on the mat as fast as they were lighting up on the screen. Playing DDR was always a rush, and already I was feeling much better than I had earlier that day.

By the time the song finished, Lily was panting like crazy, but I felt like I could go another round. Our scores appeared, and I got a double-A while Lily got a B. "Wow… You beat me!" Lily panted, falling back against the metal rail behind her. "And got a double-A! I'm officially jealous. So… how do you feel?"

"I feel great!" I replied with a huge smile.

Suddenly, I heard clapping from behind us and I turned to see, of all people, Haku! "Nice score," she commented as she approached us.

"Y-Yowase-san?!" I exclaimed in surprise, that nervous feeling returning.

"No way…!" Lily breathed, her eyes wide.

"Excuse me, mind if I play the winner?" Haku asked Lily with a sweet smile.

"S-Sure, no problem!" the blonde stammered as she stepped off of the mat and allowed Haku to take her place.

_Darn you, Lily…_ I thought as I glanced nervously at the silver-haired woman now standing next to me.

"Hmm… it's been a while since I played this," Haku muttered as she scrolled through the songs.

"Y-You play DDR?" I asked.

"Oh yeah! I used to play it all the time," she replied. "Oh what the hell, let's just pick a random one." Selecting the random song option, Haku set it to "Expert" mode again. "Megurine-san, don't fall behind."

Nodding, I positioned myself as the music began. I got lucky: this was one of my best songs, "One Sided Love." My feet practically flew as I kept up with the arrows on the screen, almost forgetting that Haku was my opponent. I was having so much fun!

Finally, the song ended and this time, I was the one panting like crazy. The scores appeared, and both Haku and I had gotten triple-A's! She had gotten a few more "Perfects" than I had, but the point was I was able to keep up with Haku Yowase! "Phew… I did it!"

Wiping some sweat from her brow, Haku held out a hand to me. "Nice match, Megurine-san. You were awesome!"

"Th-Thank you!" I said, shaking her hand. "I thought that your expectations had gone down after yesterday."

"Ah, gimme a break," she said, waving her free hand in dismissal. "Everyone has off days, right? Also, I know what it's like to be nervous and to want to match everyone's expectations. You've got a ton of potential, kid. Let's work hard at tomorrow's lesson, okay?"

Grinning, I nodded. "Okay!"

Afterwards, Haku treated Lily and me to a couple of water bottles. Lily left after a while, wishing me good luck. "Maybe sometime, I can treat you to a real drink, eh?" Haku suggested with a wink.

"No way, I'm underage," I said, shaking my head back and forth.

"Oh yeah…" the older woman muttered. "By the way, I heard about your single's popularity. Congrats!"

"Thanks," I said, my cheeks flushing. "Although I didn't do nearly as well as Miku-san..."

"Who cares? The point is the people love you guys!" Haku interrupted. "Hey, think you can show me your routine for 'Luka Luka Night Fever'? I'm real curious about it."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Haku wanted to see one of my routines?! "I'd love to!" I blurted out.

"Sweet! I can't wait to see it!" Haku said with a grin. "Oh, and you don't have to call me 'Yowase-san,' alright? From now on, call me 'Haku-sensei'!"

Chuckling, I nodded, "Okay, Haku-sensei! Whoa, it'll take a little getting used to…"

"Not a problem, kiddo," Haku said.

…

The next day after school, I met with Haku in Crypton's dance studio and we practiced the "Luka Luka Night Fever" routine together. I noticed Miku and the twins watching us, and Miku shot me a thumbs up. I smiled back at her before continuing dancing with the woman I looked up to.

**Next time…**

**Len: Our singles did well, but now we need to record a full album.**

**Rin: Whoo! I'm so looking forward to this!**

**Miku: We're gonna give it all we've got!**

**Gumi: Just don't work yourselves too hard, alright?**

**Luka: Eh? Who is that mysterious purple-haired man?**

**Next time: Track 6 – Dancing Samurai**


	6. Track 6 - Dancing Samurai

**Len: Wow Elise-sensei, you're getting a little faster with the updates.**

**EliseArainai: Must you be so critical?**

**Rin: *nudges Len* Yeah, she's doing the best she can!**

**Meiko: Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid…**

**Kaito: She just writes stories about us.**

**Miku: Enjoy! ^^**

Glancing anxiously at the clock, I waited for the last bell of the day to ring. Just two more minutes and I would be free to go to Crypton Records to record my first album! I was so excited; I couldn't even hear sensei's voice anymore.

When the bell finally did ring, I was out of the classroom like a shot, racing to my locker to switch my shoes and pick up whatever fan mail fell out again. Once that was done, I waited in front of the school for Luka and the twins.

A few minutes later, Luka dashed up to me looking a little frazzled. "I… I'm here… Miku-san," she said, a little out of breath.

"Luka nee-chan, did you run into a bunch of fans or something?" I asked.

Nodding, Luka straightened herself out. "I barely escaped. How do you avoid it?"

"Honestly, I just run out of there as fast as I can," I answered.

"Eh? You could get hurt doing that, Miku-san," the pink-haired girl scolded. "Where are the twins?"

"Psst! Over here," a couple of voices said, and Luka and I looked over at a bench. Two people were sitting there, their faces hidden behind magazines, but I could tell who they were.

"I think your disguises need work, guys," I commented with a giggle.

The twins sighed as they lowered the magazines. "Well, it worked long enough to lose those fans," Rin said. "This is ridiculous! We've only gotten our single released, and we're already dodging fans!"

"Just a part of the world of showbiz, I guess," Len said with a shrug. "Now c'mon, we gotta get to the studio and start recording."

We got to the bus stop and managed to get to Crypton Records without incident, although a few people did stop us to ask for autographs. "It'll still take me a while to get used to that!" I told the others as we walked through the doors. "Good luck, you guys!"

"You too, Miku-nee!" the twins replied before heading for their studio.

…

It was about 7:30 when Gumi told me that today's session was over. "Good work today, Miku-chan! We'll pick this up tomorrow."

"Okay," I replied before taking a sip of my water bottle. "Hey Gumi-chan, how can I avoid getting swarmed by fans?"

"Ooh, that's a tough question," Gumi said. "Well, Kaito usually disguises himself, and Meiko knows the area well enough to have a few hiding places. Those are both good options, but if the fans do catch you, just go with the flow."

"I'll try," I said. "See you tomorrow!"

I met up with the others and couldn't help giggling when someone's stomach growled. "Okay, that was not me," Len said quickly.

"I guess we're all a bit hungry, huh?" Luka commented.

"Oh, that's no problem! Kaito nii-chan showed me this nice restaurant a while ago," I suggested. "Why don't we go there?" Luckily, everyone agreed.

Of course, shortly after we got there, Rin began her line of questioning. "So Miku-nee, what's going on between you and Kaito-san?"

I gave a quick and slightly flustered response. "N-Nothing's going on, we just had dinner together that one time!"

"But you're calling him Kaito nii-chan now," Rin pressed.

"Because he sort of reminds me of Mikuo," I replied, not technically lying. "He's… like a big brother to me."

"Uh-huh," the female twin muttered with a smug smile.

"Knock it off, Rin," Len scolded, giving his sister a light nudge.

At some point during our meal, a young girl walked up to our table. "Um, excuse me. Are you the Vocaloids?" she asked shyly, fiddling with one of her pigtails.

"Yes, we are," I answered with a smile, just going along with it like Gumi suggested.

"I-I knew it! I listened to your songs, you're amazing!" the girl gushed, her eyes suddenly wide with excitement. "If you don't mind, can you sign my notebook?"

"Sure, no problem," Luka said, smiling sweetly. "What's your name?"

"Yuki Kaai," the girl answered with flushed cheeks. All four of us signed her notebook, and when she took it back she bowed to us. "Thank you! I'm sorry I disturbed your dinner."

"It's okay," the twins said, waving to Yuki as she left. "She was so cute!" Rin commented.

"I don't think I mind having fans like her," I said.

…

The next day, I was once again glancing at the clock in my classroom, preparing to make a run for the door when the bell rang. Finally after what seemed like forever, the bell rang, and I shot out of my seat only to suddenly trip over something, landing flat on my face.

"Whoops, sorry Hatsune," Neru's voice said, and I could hear a few other people snickering. "I must've moved my bag there by accident." I shot her a glare, sorely tempted to retaliate.

"Now now, that's enough of that," Hiyama-sensei scolded before he knelt down to help me up. "Are you okay, Hatsune-san?" Out of all the teachers I had in my 16 years, Kiyoteru Hiyama-sensei was probably the best homeroom and math teacher I've ever had.

"I think my ego was bruised," I answered, pouting.

As the other students left, Hiyama-sensei pulled me off to the side. "I've been meaning to tell you this, but you really shouldn't run out of the classroom like that," he said firmly. "You got lucky this time, but you could get badly hurt."

"Sorry, sensei," I said, hanging my head in embarrassment.

Sensei smiled at me. "It's alright, just promise me you'll slowdown from now on."

"I promise," I replied with a nod.

"Believe me, I understand what you're going through," Hiyama-sensei continued as he gathered his things. "Don't let this get around too much, but I'm actually part of a band called 'Ice Mountain.'"

"You're in a band?!" I exclaimed in surprise. I never expected the calm and cool Hiyama-sensei did such a thing! Not only that, but I thought that teachers weren't supposed to have other jobs.

"I know what you're thinking, Hatsune-san, but don't worry," he reassured me. "We're not technically professional, so it doesn't count as having a second job. Regardless, it's tough balancing the band and my job here. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you ever have any problems, I'm here to offer advice."

I couldn't help grinning. "Thanks sensei, you're the best! I'll see you on Monday!"

"Bye, and good luck," Hiyama-sensei called as I left.

When I reached the school entrance, Luka and the Kagamine twins were already there. "You're a little later than usual," Len commented.

"Stupid Neru tripped me when I tried to run out of the room," I muttered, pouting again.

"Sheesh, what is that girl's problem?!" Rin growled. "I swear, sometimes I just wanna-!"

But she was cut off when she saw a small crowd started running towards us. "Run awaaaay!" the twins shouted as the four of us took off in a run.

"You don't think they were waiting for us, do you?" Luka asked.

"How'd they even find out our schools?!" I shouted, though I had the idea that someone might've spotted us in our uniforms at some point.

"Less talking, more running!" Len shouted as we rounded a corner, trying to lose the fans. This kept up for a while, with no sign of slowing down.

Suddenly, Rin spotted an open gate. "Quick, let's hide in here!"

"What?!" Len shouted, about to protest until he heard the crowd getting closer. "Oh, fine!" All four of us ran inside the gate and slammed it shut, all breathing a sigh of relief.

"How long do you think we'll have to hide here?" I whispered.

"Probably until things cool down," the twins answered simultaneously.

"We're definitely going to be late for our recording session," Luka muttered with a sigh.

Leaning against the fence, I got a good look at where we were. We had accidently ended up in the backyard of a traditional Japanese-style home. "Uh, guys… I think we're on someone's property."

"Crap! What do we do?!" Rin asked, giving her brother a panicked look.

"I dunno! We can't go out there now," Len answered. "This is technically your fault, you were the one who found the gate!"

"_My_ fault?! _You_ agreed to go!" Rin argued, but they didn't go any further when we heard footsteps coming.

"Quick, hide!" Luka whispered as we all hid in a large bush.

"Is someone there?" a male voice called. We peeked out to see a man with long purple hair pulled back in a ponytail and stunning blue eyes. He was dressed in a hakama and a katana hung from his waist. "Beautiful" was really the only word that could describe him, and glancing over at Luka, I could see her blushing.

The man noticed the gate, which had swung open again. Sighing, we walked over and pushed it closed. "I really should get that lock fixed…" he muttered as he walked away.

"He's gone," I whispered, and we all slipped out of the bush. "Now what?"

Rin hopped up and down to try to see over the fence. "Those fans are still looking for us! Don't they ever give up?"

"Okay, so the gate's out," Len muttered. "We'll just have to find another way out, and hope that guy with the sword doesn't spot us."

"I guess we really don't have a choice," Luka agreed, which was surprising for her. She had always been one for following the rules, but now she was agreeing to sneak around this place to look for another exit! Then again, maybe the possibility of running into that mysterious purple-haired man had something to do with it.

Sneaking through the garden, we made it to the other side before hiding once again. It turned out the man hadn't gone that far away. On the contrary, he was outside practicing with his katana, moving through his form before slicing through a rolled-up straw mat. Every moment was smooth and graceful; it was as if he was dancing.

After a few minutes, he sheathed his sword and said, "You can come out now, I know you're there."

All four of us jumped, surprised that he could tell. "Busted," the twins muttered as we showed ourselves.

"W-We can explain!" I blurted out, but I knew that no matter what excuse we came up with, the fact was we had trespassed on this man's property.

"No need," the man said, holding up a hand to cut me off. "I heard all the noise outside. You were being chased, I'm guessing?"

"Y-Yes sir," Luka answered with a nod.

The man then chuckled. "In that case, you can stay in here until things settle down. How does that sound?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "We don't mean to intrude…"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," the man said, shaking his head. "Please come in." Removing his sandals, he led us inside through his back door. "Oh, I'm Gakupo Kamui, by the way. What are your names?"

"I'm Miku Hatsune," I answered with a smile.

"I'm Rin Kagamine, and this is my twin brother Len," the blonde girl said, gesturing to herself and her brother.

Luka's face was red as she introduced herself. "…I'm Luka. Luka Megurine."

"Nice to meet you all," Gakupo said. "Make yourselves at home, I'll go make some tea."

"Thank you, Kamui-san," I called as he left the room. We removed our shoes and made ourselves comfortable by sitting on some cushions. The room we were in had only a tea table and a cushion where Gakupo had most likely been sitting before. The floor was covered by tatami mats, and there was a nice view of the garden. "He seems nice, doesn't he?"

"Not to mention super gorgeous!" Rin gushed, hearts appearing in her eyes.

Len rolled his eyes at his twin's behavior. "I don't know why, but I somehow get the feeling that I had seen him before. What about you, Luka-nee?"

It took Luka a second to respond to the male twin's question. "… Eh? I'm sorry, what did you say, Len-kun?"

"Oh, forget it Len," Rin said. "I think Luka-nee's got Kamui-san on the brain right now!"

"N-No I don't!" the pink-haired girl protested, shaking her head.

"And who's your current crush, Rin-chan?" I piped up, both saving Luka and turning attention to Rin.

"Uh…" Rin paused for a minute before answering. "Well, this is embarrassing, but I kinda like Mikuo-nii."

"My brother?!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, we share an apartment, and I've never heard you mention that," Len said, crossing his arms and giving Rin a suspicious look.

"Well, now you know," Rin said, although for some reason I thought she might not have been telling the truth. "What about you, Len? I haven't heard any crush talk out of you lately, either."

Len turned his head, but he wasn't fast enough to cover the blush on his cheeks. "T-That's because guys don't talk about it as much."

"Here's your tea," Gakupo piped up as he re-entered the room. He was holding a tray with four cups on it, and he offered one to each of us. "So if you don't mind my asking, are you those Vocaloids I've heard so much about?"

"Uh-huh," I answered before blowing on my tea and took a sip. "Those were some of our fans chasing us. Also, we're very sorry for intruding."

"We're really sorry!" Luka and the twins added, bowing their heads.

"It's alright, all is forgiven," the older man said as he picked up his own cup and sipped. "I don't get a lot of visitors nowadays, so I actually don't mind that you snuck in."

"Sprinted in is more like it," Len commented. "You're really good with that sword, by the way."

"Oh, thank you!" Gakupo said with a smile. "This katana has been in my family for generations, and I practice with it every day. It's known as 'Music katana, Miburi.'"

"Music katana?" Luka inquired.

"They say that if the blade is swung down just right," Gakupo continued, "it makes a sound like a musical instrument, due to the unique patterns on the blade."

"That's quite a story," Rin said.

"Isn't it? I've always liked it," the older man said before sipping his tea. "Getting back to you, I'm impressed you've gotten so much attention in such a short amount of time."

"Um, have you heard our songs, Kamui-san?" Luka asked shyly.

Nodding, the man replied, "Of course! I hear them on the radio all the time. You're all extremely talented; I can see why Kaito and Meiko chose you."

"Kamui-san, you're making me blush!" I said, moving a hand behind my head.

We talked with Gakupo for a while longer before Len suddenly piped up, "Hey guys, we really should get going. We're supposed to be recording right now!"

"Ack!" I exclaimed, horrified that we had lost track of time so easily. "I'm sorry Kamui-san, but we gotta go."

"Go, then!" the older man said. "And you're all welcome to come visit me anytime."

"Thank you!" Luka said with a bow before grabbing her shoes.

The rest of us followed her example and left through the gate we had come through before. "Bye, Kamui-san!" I called back.

"Good-bye, and good luck!" he called back, waving to us as we rushed to get to the bus stop.

…

Watching as the four teens raced off, I couldn't help but smile. They were already becoming a success in the music industry, and I was very proud of them.

Standing up, I walked down the hall to another room where, displayed in a glass case, a special outfit was kept. It consisted of a white and light blue Jinbaori, a kind of kimono which was used as a battle surcoat, with parts of Japanese armor, navy blue boots, and a fan with the kanji for "music" written on it. This was the outfit I used to wear a couple of years ago before deciding to retire it.

But thanks to those four, I was starting to become inspired again. "Hmm… perhaps now is a good time to get you out of your case, old friend," I said, placing one hand against the glass.

…

"Now I remember where I've heard that name!" Len suddenly piped up.

Turning to him (which wasn't easy on a crowded bus), I replied, "Who, Kamui-san?"

"Yeah!" the male twin replied with a nod. "A couple years ago, there was a street performer who used to dress like a samurai. He had long purple hair, and I'm pretty sure his name was Gakupo Kamui, aka the Dancing Samurai."

"No way! _He_ was the Dancing Samurai?!" Rin and I exclaimed.

"I'd heard he had dropped off the face of the earth," Luka added. "I never thought he was in that house the whole time!"

"You think he'll ever take up dancing again?" I asked Len.

The 14-year-old just shrugged and said, "Who knows?"

…

Having donned my Jinbaori and taken up my fan once again, I turned on a boom box and my trademark song "Dancing Samurai" started playing. My dancing was a little rusty, so I had to get in as much practice as I could. As the music played, I slashed my fan through the air, hoping that someday soon I could return as the Dancing Samurai!

**Next time…**

**Miku: Kaito nii-chan, are you feeling alright?**

**Kaito: What do you mean? I feel fine. **

**Miku: But I thought I heard you coughing earlier.**

**Kaito: Just a dry throat, nothing serious.**

**Miku: I hope so…**

**Next time: Track 7 – Last Night, Good Night**


	7. Track 7 - Last Night, Good Night

**Miku: Kaito nii-chan, is it true? You're narrating this time?!**

**Kaito: Yep. Wish me luck, Miku-chan.**

**Miku: *jumps for joy* Yay! Good luck!**

**Kaito: Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid; she just writes stories about us. *bows* Enjoy!**

Whistling to myself, I sat down on a bench holding two cans of soda. I had texted Miku earlier telling her to meet with me when she was done with work today. I knew she was working hard on her first album and that she deserved a little break.

Suddenly, I saw the flash of a camera and I couldn't help but grimace. If that was another photographer harassing me, my good mood was about to go down south. But instead, I heard a girl's voice mutter, "Darn, why'd the flash go off…?"

Chuckling, I called, "Trying to get a good photo again, Yuki-chan?"

A young girl with short black pigtails popped out from behind a vending machine, blushing from getting caught in the act. "Oh! Hi, Kaito-sama," she said shyly. Yuki Kaai was an adorable elementary school student and president of a small Vocaloid fan club. She often runs into me and Meiko, so we know her fairly well by this point. "Um, how come you have two cans?" she asked as she walked over.

"I'm waiting for someone," I answered as she sat down next to me on the bench. "And I told you, call me 'Kaito-san.'"

Yuki just shook her head. "I don't think so. Sooo… who are you waiting for?"

"Why do you wanna know?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You just look a little happier, that's all," the young girl replied. "By the way, I met all the new Vocaloids last week. I like them."

"Glad to hear it," I said, smiling as I leaned back against the bench. "In that case, you can tell your fellow fans that Miku-chan and the others are working on their first albums right now."

"They are?! Yay!" Yuki cheered, hopping off the bench. "I gotta call the others right now! Bye, Kaito-sama!" And with that, she just took off. She could be such a funny kid.

"Here I am!" a voice called, and I looked to see Miku run up to me. "Sorry I'm a little late, I lost track of time."

I grinned at the sight of the teal-haired girl. "No worries, I know how busy you are," I replied as I handed her a soda. "Here you go. I didn't know what kind you liked, so I had to guess."

Miku took the soda and checked the label. "Good guess! I love strawberry soda!" She opened the soda and took a sip from it. "Now if you had gotten orange soda, Rin-chan would be all over it."

"She likes orange soda, eh?" I asked as I stood up and we started walking down the street.

"She likes orange anything, really," the girl replied. Suddenly, her nose twitched and she quickly covered her mouth before letting out a small sneeze.

"Gesundheit," I told her. "Either you're catching a cold, or someone's talking about you."

"I don't feel sick, so it's probably the latter," Miku replied.

Letting out a small laugh, I replied, "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, what with all the attention you've been getting lately." My voice started getting a little rough, so I ended the sentence by clearing my throat.

Miku glanced over at me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a dry throat," I replied before drinking some of my soda. She still gave me a concerned look. "Relax, I'm just a little dehydrated. It'll be better by tomorrow." Actually, I had a feeling I was coming down with something, but I didn't want to worry Miku when she had enough on her mind already.

Miku was silent for a few moments. "If you say so… Oh, so I've written a new song for the album."

"Oh yeah? What kind of song?" I asked curiously.

"Well, it's a slower, quieter song than usual," she began. "I call it 'Last Night, Good Night.'"

"Nice title," I commented. "I can't wait to hear it. I'm working on a new song, too."

"Really?!" Miku exclaimed. "What's it about?"

"Hmm, should I tell you…?" I muttered, pretending to think about it. "Nope, can't say. You'll have to wait until my single is released."

"Aww!" the teal-haired girl pouted. I was glad that she was getting a little more comfortable talking to me. At first, she could barely look at my face without blushing, but now we were having full-on conversations. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Miku, even if it wasn't very long.

Suddenly, an alarm on my phone went off and I checked it. "Man… Sorry Miku-chan, I have to get back to my apartment and work on the song."

"I understand," Miku replied with a nod. "You're pretty busy yourself. Let's walk back together!"

"Sure," I said with a smile, suddenly glad that we lived in the same apartment building. That meant that I could spend just a few more minutes with her. I'm not entirely sure why I'm always so happy to be around her, aside from the fact that she was an overall pleasant person to be around. Then again, she is kinda cute… I quickly shook those thoughts out of my head before they could go any further.

We continued talking until we reached her apartment, room 201. "Thanks for the soda, Kaito nii-chan. See you later!" Miku smiled.

"See you later, Miku-chan," I said, patting her head before heading back to the elevator.

My apartment, room 305, was only one floor up so I could've taken the stairs, but I guess I was feeling lazy that day. As I entered my apartment, I coughed a few times, my throat feeling pretty sore. _It's probably nothing serious,_ I thought, but I made myself some tea anyway, just to soothe my throat.

Once my tea was ready, I sat down at my desk and got to work on the song. It was supposed to be a response to Miku's song "World Is Mine," and I already had the first few lines figured out. As I wrote the song, I couldn't help snickering at a few lines, but I managed to come up with a good response. I completely lost track of time and ended up dozing off.

…

I could hear my cell phone ringing, and my body felt sore from falling asleep at my desk. I felt strangely warm, and my throat was still scratchy. Nevertheless, I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Kaito, did you just now wake up?!" Meiko's voice shouted, making me hold the phone away from my ear a bit.

"Yeah, why?" I replied, rubbing my eyes.

"You're late! You've got a meeting to discuss the single!" she shouted. "I'll try to stall them, but get your butt down here as soon as possible!"

My eyes flew open and I sat up immediately at her words. How could I have slept in like this?! This wasn't like me at all! I hung up, quickly changed clothes, grabbed the lyrics and dashed over to Crypton Records as fast as I could.

…

After the meeting ended, I breathed a huge (and somewhat raspy) sigh of relief. At least they liked the idea of a response song to "World Is Mine."

"You got lucky this time, Kaito," Meiko scolded. "But you owe me for covering for you."

"I'll buy you a drink tonight," I answered before coughing again. "Thanks for doing that."

Meiko suddenly stepped in front of me. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked. "You don't sound too good."

"I'm fine, my throat's a little dry," I replied, not technically lying since I wasn't able to get anything to eat or drink before the meeting. But in contrast to my words, I felt quite warm and even a little sluggish, now that the excitement had died down.

But I should've known that answer wouldn't fool Meiko. "Don't give me that. I've known you for a long time, I can tell when you're lying."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine!" I insisted as I walked past her only to run into someone coming around the corner. "? Miku-chan?"

"S-Sorry, Kaito nii-chan!" Miku blurted out as she bowed to me, her cheeks flushed.

"It's okay, but what are you doing here?" I asked as I steadied myself. "Don't you have school today?"

"Eh? Today's Sunday," Miku replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Are you feeling alright?"

Blinking slowly, it took me a second to reply. "Like I said yesterday, I'm…" My voice trailed off into several coughs.

It was then that I felt Meiko's hand on my forehead. "Baka! You've got a fever!" she exclaimed. "That's it, you're going back home! Miku, can you give me a hand?"

"Uh, sure," Miku replied as she took one arm and Meiko took the other. I allowed myself to be led back to my apartment, where I was gently shoved into bed by Meiko.

"Sheesh, you should've told me you were sick," the older woman scolded as I removed my shirt and scarf and slipped under the covers. "You've gotta take better care of yourself, you know that?"

"Got it," I mumbled, my voice low and raspy. "Sorry I worried you, Meiko."

Sighing, Meiko replied, "It's fine. You're my friend, it's my job to worry about you. Now I have to get back to work, but I'll have Miku take care of you, okay?" And before I could protest, she was out of my room in a flash. Once Meiko made up her mind, there was definitely no stopping her.

Meiko was right, I really should've just called off work. The thing is, I can be a little stubborn sometimes and I don't like people to worry about me, so that was why I denied being sick.

Miku came in a few minutes later, already blushing up to her ears. I guess I couldn't blame her, she was in a man's room. She hesitantly walked over to me and placed a cold, damp washcloth on my forehead. "H-Here, this should help a little."

"Thanks," I said quietly. "Sorry Meiko's making you do this."

"Er, i-it's no trouble at all, really," Miku stammered, not looking me in the eye. "Um, have you… have you taken any medicine?" When I shook my head, she said, "Then I'll go get some for you. Where do you keep it?"

"In the medicine cabinet in the bathroom," I answered, barely finishing the sentence before coughing again. When I stopped coughing, I continued, "Want me to show you?"

"N-No, that's okay! I'll find it myself," Miku responded, shaking her head quickly. "You stay put." She left the room and came back a few minutes later with a medicine bottle and a spoon. "Sorry, it took me a while to find everything. Can you sit up?"

Nodding, I sat up so I could take the medicine. Miku's whole face turned red at the sight of my bare chest, and she quickly looked away. "U-Um, Kaito nii-chan, your shirt…"

"Sorry, force of habit," I told her while clearing my throat. "I always sleep without a shirt."

"I see…" Miku replied, glancing back at me still red in the face. "A-Anyway, you should take your medicine." She poured some medicine into the spoon and held it out.

"? Spoon-feeding me?" I questioned.

"Y-Yeah… nii-chan always did that to me when I was sick," she explained. I have to admit, Miku looked really cute with those flushed cheeks.

Shrugging, I went along with it and leaned forward, opening my mouth so she could feed me the medicine. "Yuck," I grumbled after I had swallowed it.

Miku giggled at my reaction. "Oh, have you had anything to eat today?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "Didn't get a chance."

"Oh, then I'll make you some okayu," she piped up. "Just get some rest, alright? A-And prop yourself up a little with your pillows, that'll help your cough." And with that, she took off.

Following her advice, I grabbed an extra pillow from beside my bed and propped myself up before settling back under the covers. Deep down, I was glad that it was Miku taking care of me, and I liked that she was taking it so seriously. In retrospect, I probably should've worn a shirt so she wouldn't have been so uncomfortable at first.

I was almost asleep when Miku finally came back with a dinner tray and a steaming hot bowl of okayu. "Here you go," she said, setting the tray up next to my bed.

I slowly sat up and smiled at the teal-haired girl. "Thank you, Miku-chan," I told her. "So are you gonna spoon-feed me again?"

Her cheeks flushed again at the tease, but she answered me nonetheless. "O-Only if you want me to…"

"If you don't mind," I said with a small smile, slightly surprised that she took it seriously.

"Okay then, open wide," she said, holding out a spoonful of the rice porridge.

I leaned forward and ate it right out of the spoon, the warm feeling soothing my throat a bit. "Mmm… it's good."

"Really?" Miku asked shyly, and I nodded in reply. "I'm glad you like it." She kept feeding me until the food was gone. "Now you better get some sleep. I'll bring a fresh washcloth," she said as she took the cloth off my head and left the room.

Burying myself under the covers, I waited for her to come back, which didn't take very long. "Hey, Miku-chan… can you do something for me?"

"Sure," Miku replied hesitantly. "W-What is it?"

"Will you… Will you please sing for me?" I asked.

Her eyes grew wide at my request. "Y-You want me to… for real?!" When I nodded, she grinned. "O-Of course I will! I've got just the thing to help you sleep. It's that new song I told you about yesterday."

"Thanks," I said with a soft smile. After she placed the fresh washcloth on my forehead, Miku began singing a slow and very soothing song. My eyes slipped shut as she sang softly.

_Suyasuya yume wo miteru (Sleeping soundly, I have a dream) _

_Kimi no yokogao (Of your profile)_

_Kidzukazu koboreta namida (Without noticing the overflowing tears)_

_Hoo wo tsutau (That are running down my cheeks)_

_Setsuna no tokimeki wo (I've hidden the heartrending)_

_Kono mune ni kakushiteta no (Throbs that are in this chest)_

_Last night, Good night _

_Last night, Good night _

_Kono yoru kimi no te (This night, I'll hold your)_

_Nigitte nemuru yo (Hand tight and go to sleep)_

_Oyasumi (Good night)_

…

**Meiko: Aww, he's asleep! Miku, you should probably pick up the narration for now.**

**Miku: Eh?! Alright, if you say so…**

**EliseArainai: Hey, no commentary in the middle of the chapter!**

**Miku and Meiko: Eek! Sorry!**

…

By the time my song was finished, Kaito had fallen asleep. His sleeping face was so peaceful, so beautiful… I just wanted to reach out and stroke his cheek.

_Whoa! Get a grip, Miku!_ I scolded myself mentally. It was bad enough that I almost got a nosebleed from seeing a shirtless Kaito, but that I was thinking of such things while he was sick was just… Urgh, I had no words for it!

But then I noticed that the washcloth had slid a little. Without thinking, I reached over to adjust it, lifting his bangs so the cloth would go under them.

As I was doing that, I couldn't help teasing his hair a little bit. It was so soft and silky; I silently wondered what kind of shampoo he used. My hand then slowly moved from his hair to his cheek. His skin was hot to the touch because of his fever, and it felt so smooth…

_No! Bad Miku!_ I scolded myself again, yanking my hand away from the older man's face and looking away. Apparently, the word "self-control" wasn't in my vocabulary that day!

Suddenly, I heard a soft groan and something grabbed my wrist. I whipped around to see that Kaito, still asleep, had somehow reached out and taken my wrist in his hand. "U-Um, Kaito nii-chan, let go," I said, gently tugging my wrist.

"Mmm…" was all I got from Kaito, and he still didn't let go. It was actually kinda cute. Now that I thought about it, he hadn't touched me like this since the day we first met, when I thought that he was a kind older student from another school. That day, he held my hand as we raced to catch the bus before it left… I still hadn't forgotten his touch.

_I wonder how Kaito nii-chan really sees me,_ I wondered as I knelt down beside his bed. _Does he think I'm cute or fun to be around? Does he see me as a potential girlfriend, or just a co-worker? He's such a hard person to read sometimes…_ Regardless of my thoughts, I just gazed at Kaito's beautiful sleeping face before dozing off myself, my head lying on the side of his bed.

…

When I woke up again, it was around 4:00 in the afternoon. My hand was holding something, and I looked to see that Miku had fallen asleep next to my bed. Smiling to myself, I released her wrist and gently patted her head. I then noticed that a strand of hair had fallen in front of her forehead and I carefully tucked it behind her ear.

As I did that, Miku let out a soft moan and murmered, "…to nii-chan…" For a second I thought that I had woken her up, but she settled down after a few seconds.

She must've really been working hard lately, and now she had to take care of me… I felt kinda bad, in more ways than one. I made a mental note to myself to apologize for troubling her later. And also… I had to thank her for singing that song to me. I loved it, and I knew her fans would, too. "Thank you, Miku-chan," I whispered, patting her head once again.

**Next time…**

**Rin: Our first album is almost done!**

**Len: Say, you think we should put those songs in there?**

**Rin: The response songs we just wrote? You really think we should?!**

**Len: It's worth a shot, princess. *wink***

**Rin: Very well, then. Make it so, my loyal servant!**

**Next time: Track 8 – Daughter of Evil**

**Author's note: Miku's apartment number, 201, has a connection to the real-life Miku. (Well, sort of real life, but you know what I mean…) If anyone can guess it, I shall be very, very impressed! ^^**


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